


How the Light Gets In

by SirLadySketch



Series: Coding and Keyblades [1]
Category: Kingdom Hearts
Genre: (sorry Kairi), Aged Up, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Corruption, Espionage, Gen, Hacking, I guess think Law and Order meets Kingdom Hearts, Just a story about two idiots falling for each other while dealing with crap in their everyday lives, M/M, Major Character Injury, Minor Aerith Gainsborough/Cloud Strife, Mystery, Nebulous side ship Larxene/Luxord/ Marluxia, Pretty much everyone shows up in the fic at one point or another, Side ship SoRiku, Side ship Xion/Demyx, Sort of a cop drama?, Terrorism, also angst, cybersecurity, hospital stuff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-09
Updated: 2018-07-06
Packaged: 2018-11-29 08:47:01
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 21
Words: 183,279
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11437335
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SirLadySketch/pseuds/SirLadySketch
Summary: A chance encounter at Ven's hospital bed leads to the start of a friendship between Axel and Ven's little brother, Roxas. Together, they try to solve the mystery of what really happened the day of Ven’s accident, and to uncover what's really hiding in the shadows of the Keyblade Knights Academy.Modern AU crime/mystery fic, AkuRoku centric. ~COMPLETE~





	1. At Break of Day

**Author's Note:**

> HUGE shoutout to [ TheTwilightRoad ](https://thetwilightroad.tumblr.com/) for being my soundingboard/rubber ducky throughout this. I cannot count the times she helped me through a tough scene or convoluted plot by letting me talk at her for hours, and adding input that sparked the fire that lit so much within the Coding and Keyblades universe. Asia, you're the best!! <3

There were times when not getting around to investing in a tv or newspaper really bit him in the ass.

It was less a matter of money and more a “why bother buying something I probably won’t use?” kind of thing, but Axel did have to admit that he felt a little more disconnected from the world since his old unit finally gave up the ghost six months ago. He hadn’t really _missed_ it, per se—he had his podcasts and music to keep him going during work and downtime—but he definitely tuned into stations and sites that tended to tune out the rest of the world.

Oh, he could wax poetic if you needed to know about the latest trends in visual tech or new discoveries in the art world, and he knew the intimate (oh god, in some cases far _too_ intimate) details and updates of his regular clients and friends. But the world at large? Not so much.

So really, could he be blamed for not knowing about the accident until three months after the fact?

…well, yes, probably, but he’d be damned if he was going to admit it.

From the start, he’d known the day was gonna be a shitshow when Marley decided to schedule a special session during Axel’s regular hours. Not that Axel disliked the man; Marluxia did good work, paid on time, and asked very little from his employees other than they kept their spaces clean and showed up more or less on time. But Axel worked best to music, preferably something upbeat and peppy and _loud_ , something that sounded good with the drone of a tattoo gun. Marley like classical shit that disappeared into the background at the best of times, or burst into a sudden crescendo of strings and drums in a matter of seconds, which could interrupt the flow of Axel’s concentration, or startle him while working.

Today, there was opera.

Axel had to lift the gun away from his customer’s shoulder to avoid slipping when the male baritone on the radio hit a particularly long and quavering note. The  man in his chair also winced, although Axel had a suspicion that it had more to do with the man’s aversion to needles than it did to the music. He sighed, pressing on once the singer’s voice dipped to a level that sank below the drone of the machine. Fortunately, he was almost done, just a minute or two more and then he could clean up and clock out. And really, it could be worse—Marley could be singing along.

Ten minutes later, his customer was out the door and Axel had the last of his bottles back on the shelf, the machine cleaned and packed up, and the lights in his “studio” off. He scooped up his sketchbook and keys and headed for Marley’s room to verbally sign off for the night.

The private room in the back was reserved for private sitting that usually involved inks and piercings in places of an “intimate” nature. However, whether it was because he liked the privacy or because he tended to do larger, more expansive designs than either Axel or Larxene, more often than not, Marluxia took his clients to the back room, away from the cheaper, more common customers. Axel suspected it also had something to do with Marley’s “My store, my choice” attitude when it came to sharing the prime real estate.

Sure enough, Axel found him in the room, his “canvas” laid out on the padded table, the design already beginning to take shape. He resisted a sigh. Another cherry blossom motif. Lovely enough, but he’d have gone crazy having to do the same sort of design over and over again. There were only so many ways to draw a tree with pretty pink petals, after all. He blamed Marley’s absurd collection of shoujo anime.

Marluxia didn’t even bother looking up as Axel stood in the doorway, waiting for a break in the opera singer’s mournful bellows. The canvas, however, turned and smiled at him, giving him a drowsy wave from her position on the bed.

“Hey Axel, been a while,” she said. He nodded and leaned against the door, crossing his arms.

“Hey Bradford. Another branch on the family tree?” he asked, seeing the outline of yet another branch unfolding.

“You know Edgar,” she giggled. “And you know how Edgar and I love our kids. It’s a puppy this time, though.” Marluxia pulled back from the outline he’d been inking and sighed, looking up at last. Instead of chiding his client for moving, however, he turned his irritation on Axel.

“Did you need something? We still have a lot to get done today.”

“Just wanted to stop in before I left for the day, see if you needed anything else,” he said, trying not to sound too willing to actually follow up on it. Marley probably caught the insincerity of the offer but relaxed all the same, shifting back into position over Terra’s back.

“No, we should be fine, go ahead and take off. I’ll see you in the morning.”

“Axel!” called out Terra as he turned to go. “Can you turn up the radio on your way out? I want to catch the news.”

He nodded, walking across the room to excavated the old radio from under the various sketches Marley had draped on top of it, no doubt looking for inspiration as he added yet another branch to the Figaro family tree. The opera singer had fallen blissfully silent, and a calm British voice droned on about what was happening in the world. The woman’s voice jumped as he cranked the volume a little louder than necessary-- thank god he’d be long gone before the opera started up again.

“-- and investigators are officially reopening the area. Ventus Lux, the investigator injured in the attack, is still in the hospital in stable, but critical condition. Academy Superintendent Xemnas says that the attack was the result of an unauthorized investigation, although they continue to follow up leads into the events that happened. Anyone with any information about the incident should contact the hotline number listed on our website. In other news, Ansem attire stock is up 50% after an incident at the playboy’s private beach property this past weekend. Reporters are saying that….”

Axel froze in the doorway, the woman’s voice echoing in the back of his mind. _Ventus Lux_. It had to be a coincidence, right? Axel turned to Marley and Terra, ignoring the latest escapades of the fashion designer and trying to remember if he’d heard anything about an accident, or hearing the name Ventus anytime recently.

“What incident are they talking about?” he asked, pulling up his phone even as he said it. _Ventus Lux Accident_. He hit search then waited for the results to load, tapping his foot as he watched the results begin to slowly emerge on the screen.

“Have you been living under a rock?” Marley asked, pulling away from the design once again. Even Terra looked concerned.

“It was all over the news three months ago,” she said, propping herself up to make it easier to talk. “There was an explosion, two officers went missing, and an off duty officer got caught up in the mess. It was on the north side of town, near the docks and shipping district. They closed down the area for _weeks_ ,” she said as though she expected it to ring a bell.

He shook his head, looking down at his phone again to see if he could find an article that had loaded yet. All he needed was a picture, something to show him that it wasn’t his Ven. For god’s sake, the guy had left town over ten years ago, heading off to the islands to live with his extended family. It could theoretically be him, of course, but if he’d moved back into the area, wouldn’t he have tried to contact his old school buddies again--

The article’s image loaded, and Axel swore.

“Axel?” Terra asked, clearly not expecting that kind of reaction. Axel held up his phone.

“I know him,” he said, flashing her the picture of someone he hadn’t seen since he was 16, but would recognize anywhere. “I’ve gotta go, see what else I’ve missed these past six months.”

\- - - - - - - -

“I still don’t get the sudden interest,” Demyx said, sipping his soda as they sat in the hospital cafeteria. He’d put on a gummi-ship set of scrubs today, which would’ve been more appropriate if he worked in the children’s ward. Given that most of his patients were in comas or in highly drugged states, however, Axel supposed they wouldn’t care that much. He shrugged, stealing a handful of fries and popping them into his mouth.

“We went to school together, man. He was like my best friend,” he replied around a mouth full of food. Demyx growled, pulling his lunch farther out of Axel’s reach.

“Ok, first off, I thought _I_ was your best friend in school--”

“Yeah, but this was high school, before I met you!”

“And secondly, I told you about him when he first came in,” Demyx continued over him, taking a bite of his burger. “I tod you he waf in my ward and I waf in charf a hif safey.” Demyx swallowed, then continued. “I told you about the guards and stuff, and the police protection. Don’t you remember me telling you about how I had to get cleared to check in on this guy? How I was interviewed on the news?? How I had to get a special badge to get access to the room, and how I got a red phone to call the academy if there were any changes?”

Axel held up a hand. “So, ok, that sounds sort of familiar, but dude, in my defense, you know that you just start rambling when you come off a long shift, I thought you were making shit up again.”

Demyx glared at him, although some of the edge was lost as he noisily slurped his soda down. “How about the fact that I worked overtime for like 3 weeks and never showed up at the apartment during that time? Do you remember that? Ringing any bells?”

“Again, in my defense, you do that a lot. It’s one of the reasons you’re the best roommate ever,” Axel grinned. “And besides, I was kinda hoping that meant you’d gotten lucky or something.”

“Look, I don’t know what bee you’ve got buzzing around in your bonnet, but I can’t get you in to see him,” Demyx said, ignoring Axel altogether and taking another long slurp of soda before cramming more burger into his mouth.

“Can’t, or won’t?” Axel asked.

“The guy is in a coma!” Demyx protested, then shrank into his seat and whispered when he realized he’d been shouting. “Besides, even if he was awake, there are guards stationed outside of his room. You couldn’t get in there for more than a few minutes before they caught you, and then we’d both be in hot water.”

“A few minutes is all I need,” Axel said, feeling his way through this. He ran fingers through his hair, sighing. “I know it’s stupid and reckless and it probably won’t make a difference to him, but I feel like I owe him an apology for, I dunno, not realizing he was in such bad shape ‘til now.”

Demyx stared, chewing on his fry and leveling a steady, thoughtful expression at him.

“If we do this… it would need to be now, rather than later when the shift changes. I’ve gotten to know Laexus pretty well these past couple of months,” he said at last. “Not friendly enough to get you in, but, I think I know a way you might be able to steal a few minutes. But it’s only a few minutes, then you’re in and out. And you’ve gotta promise me that you’re not gonna do anything stupid.”

Axel grinned. “Since when have _I_ done anything stupid?”

 

“Dude, you _owe_ me,” Demyx hissed, peeking around the corner at the large police officer stationed outside of the room. The man seemed to be reading a book, looking up only briefly when someone walked by, or when there was a slight change in the quiet hum of this ward.  

Demyx leaned back in and gave a quick nod. “Ok, so, I’m gonna go over there and start talking to him. You wait about 3 minutes then text that number I gave you. That’ll set off the phone in the nurses’ station and I’ll be able to pull him over when I can pretend that you’re asking about when the shift will change and then you’re in. I’ll text you when you’re in the clear again to leave, got it?”

Axel nodded, and Demyx leaned against the wall and squeezed his eyes shut, drawing in a deep breath. He let it out, slowly, then opened his eyes to lock onto Axel. He gave a curt nod, a swift salute, then took off around the corner at a rapid clip.

Axel stayed where he was, straining to hear what Demyx would say to lure the officer away from the door. Ten seconds later, there was a crash and a high-pitched yelp from Demyx. Axel did sneak a quick peek to find that Demyx was sitting on his ass amid a pool of jello and broth, directly in front of the guard. The tall man looked none too happy—orange jello slid down the officer’s face and the front of his shirt.

Demyx tried to stand up amidst apologies, but the slick floor kept him slipping as he tried to stand up, and had the man Lexaeus not been built like a tank, there was no doubt in Axel’s mind that the officer would’ve gone down, too. As it was, he reached out, trying to catch Demyx before he fell again. Axel bit back a laugh. Only Demyx could come up with a master plan involving strategic arguments and important phone calls and other assorted secret signals to immediately botch the plan and fall on his ass.

Granted, it did the trick. The officer stood, trying to brush off the worst of the mess from his shirt, and cursed as he tried to step away from the sticky globs. Demyx made it to his feet at last, and hurried over to the nurse’s station to grab a roll of paper towels and a bottle of water, turning to hand both to Lexaeus. Unfortunately, the movement was too fast, the bottle already half open, and Demyx ended up splashing the looming officer across the face. Lexaeus was not pleased.

As Demyx tried to pull off sheet after sheet of paper towels, Axel slipped behind them, quietly pulling the room door open, then shutting it behind him with a soft click. The loud apologies from Demyx and the low grumbles from the officer immediately muted with the door solidly in place, and for a moment, Axel paused, taking it all in.

Beeping. Beeping and the hiss of oxygen, and a low hum of machines blanketed the room in a quiet, constant drone. The window curtains were closed, although the light-blocking shades were up, so the room glowed in a pale, muted white light. He could smell disinfectant, and fresh linens, and somewhere, the faint aroma of flowers. It wasn’t a particularly large room, and the second bed was unoccupied, no doubt because no one else had clearance to make it into a guarded room.

Still, it felt cozy in a way that surprised him. There was a blanket draped over one of the chairs, clearly homemade. A desk pushed up against the far wall had the look of someone who’d given up in the middle of a particularly difficult homework problem, covered in what looked like books and notes and binders. A collection of unopened drinks stood in a row along the edge of the small bedside table, and there was, in fact, a bouquet of flowers. There was even a pair of fuzzy slippers beside the bed, like someone had gone to a lot of trouble to make it feel less like a hospital ward.

But the illusion fell away as Axel made his way closer to the bed and got a good look at a face he hadn’t seen in almost ten years.

Ven looked _terrible_.

Of course, he’d been in an accident where there’d been an explosion of some sort, and while it was good to see that the burns that Demyx had mentioned really were healing pretty well, Ven was too pale to be considered healthy. Breathing tubes explained the hiss of oxygen, and it looked like he was hooked up to a couple different drip stands and monitors. No doubt Demyx could explain things if Axel asked, but he really didn’t want to know.

He walked over to the edge of the bed and slumped into the visitor’s chair.

“Gotta admit, I’d hoped that I’d get to see you again, but this was definitely _not_ what I had in mind.” Ven didn’t respond of course, but Axel blew out a shaky breath and laughed, running fingers through his hair. “I’m gonna be completely honest here, man: you look terrible.”

“Who the fuck are you, and how did you get in here?”

Ven’s voice cut through the low hum of machines, and Axel jerked out of the seat and away from the bed, nearly tripping on the drip stand and visitor’s chair. Now that he was no longer sitting in the chair, Axel could see yellowy bands of light spilling in from the hallway, and noticed the sudden rise in noise as people bustled about on important errands. Demyx had warned him it might be a quick visit, but he’d been adamant that no doctors would be in for an hour at least.

Axel turned to face the guy who’d caught him snooping in on his old classmate, then froze, excuse dying on his lips.

Ven was standing _right there_.

Axel’s mouth snapped shut, and he turned to look on the bed, heart racing. No, Ven was in bed, swathed in a mass of tubes and pipes and bandages. And yet, he also stood in the doorway, that familiar, fiery scowl, voice tense and blue eyes bright with fury. The kid clutched a takeaway bag with white-knuckled fingers, his other hand still on the doorknob. Axel allowed himself another glimpse at the bed before focusing on the vision in the doorway. _What the hell?_

“I said, just who the hell are you?” the boy with Ven’s voice repeated, stepping into the room.

Now that he thought about it, Axel could see that the Ven in the bed looked a little older than the one standing in the doorway, the hair a little longer, his build slightly heavier, more muscled than when he’d been the scrawny kid in high school. Of course, Axel himself had gone through some shit, gotten taller and more wiry, more comfortable in his own skin. The Ven in the doorway was still stuck in that awkward stage of young adulthood where there’s still some residual baby fat to soften your looks before Life started kicking you while you were down.

Thinking back, he could vaguely remember Ven being tailed around by a younger sibling—no, weren’t there two of them? There was a shy, dark haired girl, never said a peep and was sort of sickly, if he remembered correctly. She just looked up at you with those big blue eyes, the only trait she really seemed to share with Ventus. Not like Ven’s little brother, the one who looked like a mini-me and tagged along after them wherever they went and whatever they did, copying everything to the point where he’d earned the nickname—

“Repeat!” Axel laughed, and he could feel the warmth of blood returning to his face. He collapsed back into the chair beside the bed, expelling a shaky laugh. “Shit, I thought you were a ghost for a minute there. You’re the spitting image of—“

“How did you get in here? How did you get past the guards? Why the hell are you here?”

“Geeze, kid, take it easy. I know one of the people on staff here, the three of us went to school together. I just wanted to check in on Ven, I feel terrible that I only just found out,” he replied, keeping his voice calm. No way in hell he’d throw Demyx under the bus, but the kid had a valid point. Hadn’t Dem mentioned something about Ven’s family saying it hadn’t been an accident? Kid probably had reason to be paranoid about strangers in his big brother’s room. He raised his hands in surrender, trying to show the kid he didn’t have anything in his hands.

“Look, Repea—“

“Roxas,” the kid interrupted, closing the door at last, now that he’d determined that Axel wasn’t a threat. He dropped the bag of takeout onto the desk and what must have actually been his homework, then he crossed his arms, still frowning. Axel scrambled to his feet, realizing he was probably sitting in the kid’s—Roxas’—chair.

“Roxas, right. Look, I didn’t mean to come and make a fuss, I just had to come see him. When I heard what happened, found out he was here…” he trailed off, looking back at the quiet form on the bed, the wheezing machines a dull backdrop to their conversation. He sighed, watching the slow rise and fall of Ven’s chest. “We were best friends, you know?”

“I remember you now,” Roxas admitted, and his frown softened as he tilted his head and rubbed his chin. “You were that photographer guy who came over sometimes.”

“Heh, photography was a long time ago, haven’t touched it since school.” Axel smiled, feeling the room being to brighten and warm. “Impressed you remember that, though.”

“I didn’t bother learning all the people Ven hung out with here before we left,” grumbled Roxas. “You made an impression, I guess.”

“Haha, well, I’m flattered then.” Axel moved away from the bed, giving up the chair for Roxas. “Glad to know I was memorable.”

“Not memorable enough to remember your name,” admitted Roxas, and the kid had the decency to look a little embarrassed about that. Axel laughed, though, and patted through his pockets, digging out his wallet and pulling out a card.

“Axel,” he said, offering it to the kid. Roxas stared at it, then looked up to meet his eyes. Axel winked. “Keep it, then you don’t have to worry about memorizing it.” He nodded to the card as Roxas gingerly reached out to take it. “You need anything, you just give me a call.”

Roxas stiffened, and the room took on a distinctive chill again. “What could you possibly offer that I would want?”

Axel sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. “I dunno, lunch, transportation, blackmail stories about your brother in high school? Jesus, kid, it’s called offering an olive branch and being friendly.”

Roxas stood stiffly for a few moments, then sighed, shoulders slumped. He dragged a hand across his face.

“Sorry,” he mumbled, “it’s been a long couple of weeks.” He ran fingers through his hair and the short strands stuck up like bed-head. Axel suppressed a smile, since it really wasn’t the time or place to be making dirty jokes to his old best friend’s little brother.

“Look, I know you don’t know me from the bum in the alleyway, but Ven and I were close, and it kills me that it took me this long to find out he was hurt. You think of anything I can do to help—anything—“ he looked back at Ven on the bed, then caught Roxas’ eye once more. “You just give that number a call, ok?”

Roxas didn’t reply, but he nodded, tucking the card into a shirt pocket. Axel sighed, scratching the back of his head. He hadn’t really gotten to talk to Ven at all-- not that he really had all that much to say-- but staying was now clearly out of the question. He made his way towards the door again, turning before he left. “Right, well… I should get going. It was good to see you again, kid. I guess I’ll see you around.”

“Yeah, I guess,” was the less than enthusiastic response. Roxas watched him the entire way back to the door, no doubt trying to figure out what Axel’s game was. Axel didn’t hold it against him. For all the puffed up posturing, the kid looked tired, strung out, and beaten. Hell, if he didn’t know there was takeout on the table, he would’ve called for a pizza and left it there as a peace offering. Maybe he could still order a pizza and have it delivered later, when Demyx let him know the kid would be there.

Turning away from Repeat-- _Roxas_ \--, he opened the door a fraction to see if the guard was still there. Demyx was standing off to the side, face beet red and gummi-ship scrubs changed out for a pair covered in hearts. The guard was glaring at him, but he was looking away, and Axel seized the opportunity to slip out and into the hallway.

He headed away from the ward at a steady, purposeful clip, nodding to people are he passed, exchanging greetings with a few of the nurses he recognized from Demyx’s gang. He headed out the doors and back towards his apartment, shoving his hands in his pockets and drawing in a deep breath as he ran through the scene in his head once again.

Well, that had been… less that successful, but he wasn’t about to call it a complete loss. He’d seen Ven, gotten to start talking to him, and had been abruptly reminded that Ven had family that probably relied on him, and they were probably going through a tough time. Repeat looked a little worse for wear to say the least. He would definitely be sending that pizza around. Apology pizza. Apolo-pizza?

He stopped, a thought popping back into focus, and he made an abrupt turn down the street. First things first; He was going to go out and buy a god-damned TV.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello friends! just a few quick notes as we set off on this exciting AU adventure together:  
> \- Title and chapter titles are from Leonard Cohen's "Anthem", later chapters are from video game music tracks  
> \- There is a companion fic of short stories that tie into this, [**There is a Crack in Everything**](https://archiveofourown.org/works/12300699/chapters/27962508), think of it as a compilation of oneshots in this universe  
> 


	2. They Summoned Up a Thundercloud

When the next day came and went and there’d been no word from anyone official or otherwise, Axel let out a long mental sigh of relief. Apparently, not only had Demyx’s ploy to distract the guards worked, the kid-- Roxas-- hadn’t ratted him out to the cops for technically trespassing on what was probably considered an inactive crime scene or something. He wasn’t going as far as to believe that he’d been forgiven for the intrusion, per se, but Roxas had apparently remembered him well enough to come to the conclusion that yes, Axel really had been telling the truth about just wanting to talk to Ven, and no, he’d never hurt his best friend from the old days.

However, after a few days had passed and there still had been no word, he started to worry that maybe he should’ve sent that pizza after all. Not because he’d expected Roxas to call him back, eager to reminisce and catch up on all that had been going on, but… well, he’d have thought there’d have been some sort of communication. And Demyx was working long shifts with overtime at weird hours again, which meant he couldn’t find out if Roxas had been asking about him. Not that it mattered, not really, but he hated to think that he’d weirded out a kid who was clearly going through some shit right now and who didn’t really need a ghost from the past popping up on the horizon.

Pizza it was. Pizza was universal, right? It was the perfect vessel to hold all good wishes and smooth out potential awkwardness between them. No one got upset about pizza. Axel decided that if he hadn’t heard anything after a week or so, that would be just the right amount of time to send his gift. Something to imply “I’ve been thinking about you since we met, not in a weird, stalkery-kind of way, but more of a ‘ _we got off on the wrong foot and I’m sorry about that_ ’ kind of way, so please accept this food as a token of my regret over any hard feelings that may or may not have come from me illegally sneaking into your brother’s hospital room.”

He sent the peace offering a week to the day and time they’d met, figuring that a student’s schedule couldn’t change that much from week to week. He set up a delivery, told them where to send it, and asked them to include the message: “Thanks for not calling the fuzz, see you later. ~A”

He felt a great burden lift from his shoulders as he ended that call. Pizza gave them an even playing field; if the kid wanted to talk, he had Axel’s number. Otherwise, they could both go back to their lives, feeling none the worse about never speaking to each other again, knowing that there was no bad blood between them. If and when there was a development in Ven’s condition, Demyx would be sure to tell him, and things would go on as normal.

To be completely honest, he never thought he’d hear from Roxas again, so of course that was when he got the call.

He’d been dreaming about books, probably, or maybe it was birds. Something flappy, brittle, and whispery, floating around him, making strange fluttering noises that sounded like dead leaves scattered by a brisk winter wind. Things that looked like shadows, but white, insubstantial, and flitting. And underneath all the whispering scratches and crackling shuffles, a tinny rumble, mechanical, droning, deafening the sound of the… whatever… floating around in him the dream. The rumble was persistent, and grew more insistent, and it had a musical lilt to it, almost like it was….was that…. Barbie Girl?

Axel opened his eyes just wide enough to grope among his covers to hunt down his phone. His fingers brushed against his sketchpad-- apparently he’d been more tired than he thought, falling asleep while he worked-- and after a few more seconds pinpointing the rumble, his fingers closed around the still ringing phone.

He tried to focus on the time, but “4:30” could be so ambiguous. Was it am or pm? It was hard to tell when the shades were down. You could argue that no one in their right mind would call him at 4:30 am, of course, but then, he’d assigned “Barbie Girl” as a specific ringtone for Demyx, and given his roommate’s odd hours and tendency to not remember to bring his keys, 4:30 am was not out of the realm of possibilities. He swiped a finger across the screen to accept the call, blissfully silencing the obnoxious song, and then he sank back into the bed.

“What?” he asked, maybe a little curt, but Demyx had either interrupted a nap or his regular sleep schedule, so either way he was at fault. When Demyx didn’t reply, however, he cracked open an eye again to make sure that he hadn’t accidentally turned off the phone instead. Ticking numbers indicated that no, he was still connected to the caller on the other end of the line. He sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose, trying again. “Demyx, I swear to god, if you’re calling again to ask me if I’ve fed Bubbles I am going to revoke your visitation rights and you’ll never see him again.”

“...Uhh, hi. This is Roxas. Roxas Lux. We met at, uhm, we met last week,” came the definitely-not-Demyx voice on the other end of line. Axel shifted and the sketches fluttering off the bed and onto the floor as he sat up. Roxas’ voice, quiet and hesitant, continued, “Did I call at a bad time?”

“What? No! No, sorry, I thought you were… I mean with the ringtone I assumed, ah-- no. Sorry. I remember. Sorry,” Axel half-yawned, half-mumbled, trying to scrub away the sleep from his eyes.

“Were you _asleep_?” The kid’s voice wasn’t accusatory, not exactly, but the incredulous tone implied that apparently the kid took offense at people taking naps in the middle of the afternoon. Axel frowned, sitting up a little straighter and bracing himself against the lecture, even if the kid couldn’t see it.

“It’s my day off,” he replied, trying to grab the papers he could and stack them into some semblance of order. They eluded his grasp and more sheets slithered to the floor. “And besides, you’re a student, right? Shouldn’t _you_ be taking a nap in the middle of the afternoon?”

“I study in the afternoon,” came the short reply, and Axel sighed, heaving himself out of bed. Sleeping the rest of the afternoon wouldn’t have been productive anyway, there were probably other things he should be doing. But then, it sounded like the kid had things he should be doing, too. “I work while I sit with Ven.”

“Oh,” was all he came up with by means of reply. There was an awkward silence for a few minutes, then they both started at once.

 “Look, I’m sorry about the whole--”

“I didn’t want to impose--”

 “Ah, sorry, go ahead,” Axel said, putting the kid on speaker and setting the phone down to properly gather his sketches. Apparently in the time between when he’d sat down to draw and he’d fallen asleep, he’d finished a grand total of…. He squinted at the pages. Three designs. Perfect. There were some squiggles on there, too, so maybe he could work with those.

“Um, look. We got off on the wrong start,” Roxas said after he realized Axel wasn’t going to continue. “And I’m sorry for being snippy about you being there.” There was a slight pause. “I mean, you weren’t _supposed_ to be there in the first place, but I guess what I’m trying to say is that I get why you did it, and I appreciate the gesture. Sorry I was so upset.”

“Oh,” Axel said again, tucking the blank pages back into his folio. “Um, yeah, I dunno what I was thinking, I guess I wasn’t. You had a right to be angry. I… read more about what happened. I would’ve freaked out, too, if I came in and found a tall, dark, and handsome stranger looming over my loved one’s hospital bed.”

“Yeah, well… No harm done, I guess,” Roxas said, not rising to the bait. “But next time I would just talk to Lexaeus and clear it-- supervised visits are ok.”

“Yeah, good call--wait, next time?” Axel asked, dropping the folio onto his desk and then making his way back to flop onto the bed once again.

“I mean, you said that you wanted to, uhm. I mean, your note said that, uh,” the kid broke off, clearly trying to gather his thoughts. “I sort of thought that you wanted to come visit again,” was the mumbled response. Despite the less than enthusiastic tone of the kid’s admission, Axel grinned. Pizza peace offering had worked its magic once again.

“Yeah-- I mean, I don’t wanna get anyone in trouble,” he said, already trying to plot out the logistics of schedules and hospital visiting hours, “But if there’s a way to get me in without dumping jello and broth all over the place, that’d be ideal.”

That earned him a light laugh. “I talked it over with the officers on duty and they said so long as I vouched for you and we kept the door open you could visit. So if you wanna come, just let me know and we can figure something out.” There was a slight hitch in his voice, a quick intake of breath before he continued.

“He doesn’t get a lot of visitors. And.. and Doctor Gainsborough thought it might help to have some new voices, you know, to just… give him something to listen to. I cleared it with her before I asked the guards, and since she thinks it’s a good idea, we should try it. You never know.”

Axel could imagine the kid sitting in the hospital room with no company other than the cops at the door, the nursing staff who came to fiddle with the medical equipment, and his brother, unconscious and unresponsive. The kid who looked like Ven, but the Ven he remembered didn’t have those dark circles under his eyes, or the pale, taut skin of someone living under a mountain of stress and running on too-little sleep. And he knew Aerith through Demyx, and knew her well enough to guess that the suggestion for new companionship wasn’t just for Ven’s sake.

“Yeah… yeah,” he repeated, a little more confidently. “Yeah, I’ll come whenever, I tend to have Tuesdays and Thursdays off, but my schedule is kinda flexible so whenever would be fine.” He paused, mentally reviewing his upcoming week for possible days he could go over. “When were you thinking?”

“Oh, well, uhm… I mean, it’s Thursday today but visiting hours are over soon,” Roxas said, and Axel wondered if the kid had actually thought that he wouldn’t want to come by again, and hadn’t planned on what would happen if Axel actually offered to visit. The voice on the other end of the line hemmed and hawed, filling space while the blonde apparently tried to figure out what to say.

“I mean, it doesn’t have to be immediately if you have things planned, no big deal,” Axel said, offering him an exit. “I could always try to pop in if I drop off Demyx for work, or if I’m picking him up.”

“Oh!” this idea apparently shook something loose. “No, you need to come today, around 5 or so.”

Axel paused, pondering this change of heart. He looked over to his desk where the sketches he _should_ have been working on were now in a tidy heap, and then he looked down at his clothes. Well, he had changed into something clean today, although there were smudges of ink and charcoal on his jeans. And he hadn’t really planned on going out today, but...

“That’s an oddly specific time,” he responded instead, trying to feel his way through what the kid actually wanted.

“It’s when Demyx’s shift ends,” Roxas explained. “And he said you’d promised to pick him up, and then he gave me his phone to call you while he finished up his rounds.”

“Ah, _Barbie Girl_ ,” Axel chuckled.

“...What?”

“When you rang, it was my ringtone for Dem, which is why I thought you were him at first. I’d completely forgotten that I was gonna pick him up, so thanks for reminding me.”

“Oh, ok.” There was another awkward pause, then Roxas continued. “So… I guess we’ll see you soon?”

“Yeah, I’ll be there.” Axel reached under his bed to pull out his shoes. He looked at the clock on his phone, then down at his clothes again. They were sort-of clean. Or they had been, but that was before he’d fallen asleep in the middle of a charcoal drawing session. He swiped at a long sweep of black that only partially brushed off, then sighed. If it was just Demyx, he wouldn’t have cared, but since he was actually going _into_ the hospital, and he might actually have to interact with people, the charcoal smudges all over his shirt probably wouldn’t fly. “I might be a little late, gotta change. Just babysit Demyx til I get there.”

 - - -

He pulled up to the hospital only about ten minutes late, freshly dressed and more or less charcoal-free. As he made his way into the building, his phone buzzed. Looking down, he saw it was a text from an unknown number.

  * _xx13 5:08 pm_ : Demyx fell asleep in the chair by Ven.
  * _xx13 5:10 pm_ : He’s not moving so I guess just come here to pick him up.
  * _xx13 5:13 pm_ : I let Zexion know you’re coming.



He paused, wondering if that meant that Roxas would not actually be there, and if this was some elaborate set up to get him arrested by the cops for trespassing. The kid had _sounded_ happy enough to have him come, but really, Demyx was the perfect bait to set a trap. Then again, Demyx was notorious for being able to fall asleep in under a minute in the weirdest positions and places, so the fact that he’d found a chair to wait in and not the storage closet (again) was something.

Pushing aside his paranoia, he took a minute to save the number to his phone. If he didn’t get arrested and the kid was serious about having him come visit on a more regular basis, he may as well know how to contact him to set things up. He left the ringtone default, though-- he wouldn’t presume to know Ven’s brother well enough to know what would suit him. Not yet, anyway.

He pocketed his phone as he made his way towards the room, nodding to familiar faces as he passed. As he turned the final corner, he braced himself for the mountain of muscle that was the cop who’d been doused in jello as part of Demyx’s masterplan. However, a short, fresh-faced man sat in the chair today, long bangs covering part of his face. He was studiously typing away at a laptop, glancing up every so often but not really seeming to take anything in before going back to work. Axel approached slowly, wondering if he should hold up his hands to show he was unarmed.

“Uhh, I’m here to--”

“He’s inside,” came the short reply. The man didn’t even look up, just kept typing, although he did nod his head in the direction of the door. Axel let out a breath. The man’s lack of surprise or suspicion was a bit anti-climatic after his paranoia-filled walk down the corridor into what he was sure was actually a sting operation, but he wasn’t going to give the man a chance to reconsider.

He pushed the door open, then hesitated, remembering how the kid had said something about ‘keeping the door open.’ He decided not to risk it; he took a deep breath and strode into the room, leaving the door ajar and hoping that was “open” enough. He found Demyx quickly enough, sprawled in the chair and completely out of it. At least is was a normal place to fall asleep, and he was more or less in a position that wouldn’t leave him with aches in his joints when he woke up.

Shifting his gaze from Demyx to Ven, he saw that the sheets had been changed, and it looked like Ven was in a new set of hospital gowns. Blue again, but a brighter color, closer to the colors he wore back in school. That was more or less the only change, however. He still lay motionless on the bed, the machines still whirred, the drip bags dripped, life (such as it was) went on.

It took him a minute to spot Roxas at the desk, slouched over a notebook and tapping his pencil in time to the music Axel could hear bleeding out of the headphones. He headed over, tapping the kid on the shoulder and almost jumped out of his skin as a hand shot out and grabbed his wrist. Roxas’ eyes met his, wide and bright and blue and intently focused. After a moment, Roxas recognized him, flushed, and let go. He scrambled to take off the headphones and stood, skittering the chair back a good foot as he untangled himself from the wires.

“Sorry! I didn’t hear you come in,” he apologized, and tossed the headset onto his notes.

“I gathered that,” replied Axel, shaking out his wrist and flexing his fingers. Kid had a strong grip for being as short and scrawny as he looked. He quirked an eyebrow as Roxas pushed the chair back in under the table. “You know, usually people keep an ear out when they know visitors are stopping in.”

“Yeah, well,” Roxas gestured over to Demyx. “He fell asleep mid-sentence, and since you said you were gonna be late I figured I could get more studying in.” He sighed. “I don’t normally have it up that loud, but he talks in his sleep.”

Axel laughed, walking over to the chair. “Just be glad he didn’t start sleepwalking. Dem gets up to the weirdest shit when he’s asleep. I had to film it once just to prove it to him, and even after that he still argues that he sleeps like a rock.” He nudged Demyx, who whined in his sleep and nestled further into the chair. “Dude, wake up. You can pass out wherever you want once we get back home.”

Demyx muttered something under his breath along the lines of he was awake, thank you, and Axel waited to see if there was any movement to indicate there was, in fact, some consciousness behind that. After getting Demyx to hold up three fingers and tell him the name of his favorite band (it was the _Heartless_ ), Axel left him to sort himself out and walked over to Roxas, who’d apparently gone back to studying.

“So I’ll have him out of here in a minute,” he said, glad to see that the headphones were still on the desk. “Thanks for keeping him off of the floor.”

“You’re wel--what?” Roxas asked, putting down his pen and leaving his notes again. He gave Demyx a slight frown, Demyx who was not, in fact, getting up and getting ready to go like he’d promised he would.

“Working long hours means he’s perfected the art of sleeping wherever, whenever. Let’s just say it makes rooming with him a bit of an adventure. Demyx, _wake up!”_ he called over his shoulder, to which he got a slow wave and a groan that promised some movement. Axel turned back to Roxas. “Anyway, I’d be happy to drop you off if you need a ride or something, plenty of room in the car.”

“Riding with strangers is not advisable,” said a soft, clipped voice behind them. The officer from outside of the room stood just a few feet behind them, arms crossed, disapproving frown half-hidden by bangs over his face.

“Hiiiii Zeeeeeee,” drawled Demyx, who, apparently, actually _was_ working on getting himself up to a standing position. He’d managed to sit upright in the chair and turned around to lay against the top of the chair, arms draped over the back of the lounger. “Zee” paid him no mind, keeping his attention focused on Axel. Axel shifted, straightening his posture a fraction as the man continued his intent appraisal.

“So, you are the one who sent the delivery.” This was more of a statement than a question, though Axel decided a nod would probably be the best response. Zexion ‘hmmed’ for a moment before apparently deciding something-- whether it was about Axel’s character or his choice in pizza toppings, he wasn’t going to ask. Zexion gave Axel a brief nod in response and then turned to Roxas.

“You may as well go home, I’ve got things covered here and you need to study. Leonhart will expect nothing less than your best tomorrow.” Roxas didn’t respond, looking back down at his notes. Zexion returned his gaze to Axel. He didn’t say anything more, just gave Axel a look that said ‘I know your deepest, darkest secrets and I will use them against you if necessary.’ It was all Axel could do not to flinch as the officer made his way back into the hall.

Demyx was standing at this point, or rather, Demyx was leaning on Roxas, who was helping him stand and looking a bit out of sorts about it. Axel shook off the lingering chilly vibes from Zexion and walked over to duck under Demyx’s arm and more or less heave Demyx to his feet. Roxas stepped back, now relieved of the sleepy Demyx, and frowned, looking back at his homework.

“So, uhm, I guess I’ll call--”

“Nah. Pack up your stuff and I’ll give you a lift home. We can coordinate on the way, Demyx won’t mind.” He hefted his roommate higher, eliciting a sleepy whine. “It’s no trouble, honest. And I’m not a stranger-- well, not entirely. Ven and I were peas in a pod, you know? Think of it as getting reacquainted with an old family friend.”

Roxas looked back at Ven, his eyes narrowing a bit. He was clearly weighing his options, trying to decide if he was really going to get into the car with two strangers--well, probably one stranger and a sleeping acquaintance, depending on how well he knew Demyx.

Axel resisted the urge to sigh. Seriously, just because he had some ink and didn’t polish up as nicely as some of the other hospital patrons didn’t mean he was going to drag some hapless kid into the back of his car. Hell, it wasn’t even his car, he just drove it for Demyx to run errands and carpool.

“I’ve just gotta dump Demyx on the floor of the apartment and then I can take you home, or to school, or your girlfriend’s or whatever. Scouts honor, I’ve never been arrested or held under suspicion for kidnapping, assault, or anything like that,” he said, shifting the ever increasingly-heavy Demyx on his shoulder.

“I know,” Roxas said, walking over to the desk and packing up his things. “Just give me a minute to collect my stuff and say goodbye to Ven, and I’ll meet you in the parking lot.”

Axel grinned, giving him a thumbs up before calling out into the room. “I’ll see you soon, Ven-- we’ve got a lot to catch up on!”

He shook Demyx back awake and together they ambled down the hall, passing the creepy officer who said nothing, but deliberately kept eye contact with Axel until they’d rounded the corner back towards the lobby.

“Weirdo, reading my mind and shit,” muttered Axel under his breath, which surprisingly got a response from Demyx.

“Intelligence,” was the yawned explanation. “Reads everyone’s files so that he has all of the details of what’s going on. He kne--ew” -- this was punctuated by another yawn -- “who you were as soon as you walked into the room. Plus what I told him.”

Axel stopped mid stride, throwing off Demyx’s zombie gait. He turned to look back in the direction they’d come, ignoring the yelp of surprise Demyx gave as they stumbled to a stop. Suddenly that _I know’_  held a hell of a lot more meaning, and Axel wondered, not for the first time, if he’d walked into more than he’d bargained for when he snuck into Ven’s room.

\- - -

By the time Axel had managed to shove Demyx into the back seat of the car and make sure that he’d been buckled in and more or less as comfortable as possible, Roxas was already waiting at the curb, backpack slung over his shoulder. He seemed surprised to see Demyx sprawled in the back seat, but said nothing as he slid into the passenger seat. Axel handed him his phone as he pulled away from the curb.

“Ok, so one: I’m guessing you live near the campus, right? So I figured I’d swing by our apartment first since it’s on the way, and then I can dump Demyx in his bed so I know he’s safe and sound, then we’ll head out and hopefully rush hour will be a little lighter. Two: I don’t know what kind of music you like so if you wanna change it just use that app to find something, I honestly don’t care what it is as long as it’s not opera or overly classical shit.” He made a quick turn out of the parking lot and swung into traffic, joining the bumper to bumper crowd. “And three: I don’t know what that Zexion guy told you but I was 13 and it was an _accident.”_

Roxas chuckled, flicking through the playlists on Axel’s phone as he searched for background noise. He chose something that Axel would call in polite company ‘hipster folk tunes’, but the guitar was nice and the singer was tolerable, so he could live with it. Roxas placed the phone into the holder on the dashboard, then sat back, getting comfortable.

“I wasn’t going to pry,” he said, and Axel could hear the damn laugh in his voice, “but I was curious about how someone accidentally burns down a shed with a pair of old bike wheels and road flares.”

“ _I was 13_ ,” repeated Axel. He sighed. “You know those wheels of fireworks you see in movies during like New Years festivals and stuff? The ones that spin around really fast and have like sparklers and whistlers whizzing out in all directions? I thought it would be cool to make one to celebrate. So I got an old bike, stripped it for parts, and attached flares to the spokes. I even rigged up a remote fuse so I wouldn’t accidentally blow off any fingers or get burned.”

“Why flares?” Roxas asked, a hint of interest in his voice. Axel laughed, giving him a quick look as he shifted lanes to move into faster traffic.

“Fireworks weren’t legal, not even the ground based stuff. _Especially_ if you’re underage and don’t look old enough to pass for young adult. Road flares were… well, maybe they still weren’t legal for a minor to buy, but they were easier to come by. It was a matter of creativity in the face of limited supplies.”

“So… road flares didn’t work?” Roxas asked, sounding genuinely amused. Axel grinned, remembering those few glorious minutes of pyrotechnik delight.

“They looked _awesome_ ,” he said, then laughed again. “Til I found out the hard way that they apparently they created more lift than I’d anticipated and the whole thing just sort of whizzed into my neighbor’s wooden shed. Lit up like a torch. It was pretty amazing to watch, that is, until my neighbor called the cops on me. Hell, I think I’d do it again, it was totally worth it and the neighbor was a grouchy old guy anyway. Didn’t think it would ever be something I’d have to defend, though, cause, you know, I sort of thought my misdemeanor as a minor files were sealed.”

Roxas coughed. “Zexion is very thorough at what he does,” he said, sounding a bit apologetic but not enough to actually say sorry for bringing it up. Axel guessed he owed him that much, though. Maybe finding out that Axel’s only real brush with the law was as a juvenile delinquent (and in an amazing blaze of glory to boot) made it a little less intimidating for Roxas to ride in the passenger seat. Or maybe he just liked snooping into people’s past. Who knew.

They sat a few moments in silence, Axel concentrating on not flipping the bird and swearing at every asshole who cut him off in traffic, since, you know, company in the car and all that. Roxas was probably listening to his hipster songs playlist, this one was some dude singing in falsetto about the kings and tax collectors or something. Demyx’s only input was a light snore from the back of the car.

“What were you celebrating?” asked Roxas out of the blue, and it threw Axel for a loop for a few minutes. He smiled, although it was a little more forced than before, giving Roxas a quick look before turning his attention back to the road.

“Ven’s birthday.”

\- - - -

By the time they’d made it through traffic and found a place to park the car, it was close to 6:30. It took them all of ten minutes to drag Demyx up the stairs, another three minutes to get him through the door. Axel gestured at the living room towards a large couch that was mostly clear of blankets, pillows, and other ephemera of two bachelors living a bohemian artists’ life.

“It’ll take me a minute to get him to his room, make yourself at home, I’ll be out asap.”

Roxas blinked, flushing a little as he asked, “So you two aren’t, um….” He trailed off, interrupted by Axel’s laughter.

“God no. I have to keep a lock on my door so he doesn’t sleepwalk in and steal my blankets.”

“I like to be comfy….” was the plaintive whine from Demyx, who was stumbling out of his shoes and shucking off his jacket. Axel sighed, catching the coat before it hit the floor to hang it up properly on one of the pegs by the door. He gave Demyx a gentle shove towards the back hall.

“Two minutes, just need to make sure he makes it to the bed,” he promised before he disappeared after his roommate.

Roxas waited by the tank, shifting uncomfortably from foot to foot and taking in the place. It was… well, artistic was a way to describe it. Shabby chic? Not clean. Definitely not clean, at least not to his standards. But then, he’d been living with Ven for years, and the academy had taught his brother to keep things tidy, a habit he’d taught Roxas, who was already a bit of a neat freak. There were few places as clean and orderly as their apartment.

Of course, even if it wasn’t as clean and organized as he was used to, Roxas could see the appeal. There was art on the walls, and sheets of music on the table. An empty coffee mug held down a stack of what looked like sketches. Bookshelves filled with all manner of reading materials-- apparently someone liked manga-- and there were movies tucked in among the books, too. The rumpled blankets on the couch looked like they were just calling out for a tv binge. Of course, the tv itself was in a box which was a bit weird, but maybe it was some sort of artistic statement.

Axel popped back in at that moment, picking up his keys again and heading back towards the door. “Sorry about that. He’s a great nurse, but he sort of has an automatic shut-off switch when he clocks off and more or less sucks at taking care of himself. I mean, I guess anyone would get a little loopy after a 32 hour shift.”

Roxas shrugged, probably used to Demyx’s odd habits after months of dealing with him. His attention was on more immediate mysteries. “What’s with the tv box? Placeholder or something?”

Axel looked back at the box and laughed, shrugging into his coat. “Nah, I just bought it last week and I haven’t bothered setting it up yet. I’ll get around to it eventually.”

“Oh…” replied Roxas, who was probably wondering who in the hell would buy a 48 inch tv and then just leave it in the box on the table in the living room. Not that Axel wasn’t wondering the same thing if he was completely honest, but he’d been so thrown by last week’s revelations that he’d sort of just walked in and asked for the best tv on sale and took what they showed him. And he would get around to setting it up at some point. Eventually.

Axel locked up and led the way down the stairs, back towards Demyx’s car. As he slid into the driver’s seat, Roxas took the passenger seat again, shucking his backpack into the back seat for more room, now that the back was Demyx-free. Axel pulled out his phone, intending to hand it over to Roxas and suggest he enter the location where he wanted to be dropped off, then paused. He paused, though, getting a glimpse of the kid in the yellowy street lights.

The hairstyle was a little different and he was older than the teenaged Ven he’d hung out with, but he recognized the slouch and solemn expression. But where Ven had been robust and clearly in good health, Roxas was pale and his gaze slightly listless. There was strength, yes, but the kid looked exhausted, like he spent too much time indoors and didn’t bother keeping a regular schedule. Axel looked at him long enough that Roxas finally moved his attention from his phone to focus on Axel, a frown on his face.

“So, I know we don’t really know each other all that well anymore but can I give you an honest opinion?” Axel asked, drumming his fingers against the wheel and giving  Roxas another good, long look.

“Umm…” Roxas replied, clearly not keen on the idea, but Axel shook his head and turned his attention back to the road, sticking his keys back into the ignition.

“You look like you could really go for a beer,” he said, talking over Roxas’ non-committal response. “And I know just the place.”

“I can’t!” yelped Roxas, eyes wide. When Axel turned to raise an eyebrow, he flushed, looking away. Axel laughed.

“Relax, kid, I’m not offering anything more than a brew.” He promised, not wanting the kid to start reconsidering his choices and do something stupid like jump out of a moving vehicle. He left the keys in the ignition but kept the car off, not wanting to start driving until he knew exactly where they were going-- Luxord’s, or if he was dropping the kid off somewhere else. He shrugged, trying to ease the kid’s obvious and completely unwarranted panic. “You just look like you need a cold one.”

“I’m not actually 21 yet,” Roxas admitted. He gave Axel a sharp look. “And no, before you ask, I don’t have a fake ID. I haven’t done anything to risk my scholarship, and I don’t usually have the time to go out and party anyway.”

Axel laughed, and turned on the car. “I stand by what I said-- you need a cold one,” he laughed, pulling out of the spot and heading into traffic. “And, like I said, I know just the place.”

 - - - -

“I can’t believe you bought me ice cream,” Roxas said, staring at the stick of dripping blue mess in front of him. Axel, already halfway through his own ice cream bar and mouth full of gooey goodness, simply gave him a thumbs up. Roxas shook his head, and took a tentative nibble. “Salty… but sweet. You can’t even taste the coconut milk.” He decided that it was good, though, and took a more confident bite.

Axel swallowed, then wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. “Yeah, it’s not one of those flavors that you’d think would taste good, but it just works, you know? I haven’t had the coconut version before, but the almond milk one has a nice, subtle flavor to it, too.” He slurped off the rest of his bar, swallowed, then pointed his stick at Roxas. “Eat up before it melts, then we’ll chase it down with some food. There’s a place right around the corner that serves up a mountain of fries on the cheap and they’re amazing.”

“Why do you keep trying to get me to eat?” Roxas asked, finishing up the rest of his popsicle.  Axel frowned, tapping the stick against his lips for a few minutes before answering.

“I guess ‘cause when I see you, I think about all those times Ven and I hung out back in the day, we always --inevitably-- ended up getting something to eat. I mean, makes sense, teenagers are always hungry, right?” He shrugged, then stretched, rolling his shoulders to ease out the kinks in his muscles. “Besides, the pizza was different. That was apolopizza.”

Roxas coughed, wiping his mouth with a napkin. “Apolo-what?”

Axel raised his hands, gesturing to the world at large. “You know, apolopizza! When you piss someone off, you send them pizza as an apology.”

“I… what?”  Roxas asked again. Axel sighed.

“I snuck into the hospital room. You were upset--”

“Justifiably!”

“So, clearly I needed to apologize. And say thanks for not getting me or Demyx arrested. So,” he mimed opening a pizza box and pulling out a slice. “ _Apolopizza.”_

“I…. are you always like this? I don’t remember you being this weird,” Roxas said, shifting uncomfortably in his seat. Axel stared at him.

“You’ve never sent food to someone as a way to say ‘Sorry I fucked up?’” he asked. Roxas shook his head.

“Not pizza. Lactose intolerant.”

“Wait, seriously? Shit. Did you have to chuck the whole thing then?” Roxas smiled a bit, shaking his head.

“No, but there was a bit of a stir when it arrived. Zexion said we shouldn’t trust food that we didn’t specifically order, and he decided he was going to hack the deli to find out who sent it. And I wasn’t going to eat it because, you know, _cheese_ , and Lexaeus appeared while we were trying to figure out what to do so there were three of us standing there, trying to decide what to do next when Demyx walked by and asked if he could have a slice.” Roxas shrugged.

“He said he knew you were going to send it around, which led to a round of questions about _why_ you were sending it. After Zexion thoroughly interrogated him-- and chewed me out for letting you in without clearing it first-- he decided that if Demyx ate a piece and didn’t immediately froth at the mouth, it was probably ok. Demyx ate about half of the pizza, and Zexion and Lexaeus had the rest. I ate some of the toppings and had a slice without cheese, so it worked out in the end.”

Axel… wasn’t sure what to make of that, so he switched gears, turning the conversation back to his original train of thought.

“Ok….” he drawled, then nodded down the sidewalk. “Well, anyway, it’s basically dinnertime, and you look like you could stand for some more outside time before you call it a night and get back to your studying. And I dunno about you, but I _am_ kinda hungry because ice cream only goes so far, and like I said, the cafe has awesome fries. Besides, it’s not like you can study _all_ the time.”

Roxas sat a little straighter, frowning. “Why do you think I was gonna go home and study?”

Axel grinned. “What, you’re telling me that’s _not_ what you were planning to do?”

“Just because I’m still in school, it doesn’t mean that all I do is study. I have friends and we go out and do fun stuff,” Roxas huffed, although he turned away. “... but yeah. I have a midterm project deadline coming up and I need to work out some bugs before I turn it in.”

“Bugs?” Axel asked, standing up and offering a hand to Roxas, who pointedly ignored his outstretched hand, standing up on his own. Axel shrugged, pointing down the street towards the the restaurant.  “Right. Why don’t you tell me about it on the way?”

\- - - -

“So when they died, the three of us moved to the mainland to live with my cousin’s family for a few years to finish up school. Then Ven got the scholarship to the Academy, which lead to a job at the police station, and I applied to the Academy to join him here. Xion stayed with Sora-- he’s our cousin, I don’t remember if you ever met him but you’d remember him if you did-- since she was doing an advanced study abroad degree thing and they don’t really have anything like that over here. And since we got here I’ve been studying, and Ven was working in the forensics department at the Academy, handling computer stuff for active investigations and stuff. Then... there was the accident.”

Roxas paused to take another bite of his burger, chewing slowly. Axel didn’t mind the obvious tactic to buy more time. He’d been right, the kid did have a lot of shit going on in his life, and he’d definitely warmed up after eating-- was almost chatty, even. Instead of pressing for more details, Axel chose to pop more fries into his mouth, dipping them in copious amounts of aioli sauce before shoveling them in. The tactic worked, as it always did. When Roxas swallowed, he’d apparently taken long enough to sure up his nerves again.

“Since then, well… stuff has been a mess. Xion came over when it first happened, but there’s nothing anyone can really do and she couldn’t skip school to sit with him, so she’s back on the islands for a few more months until break, then she’ll be back. I’ve got what’s essentially medical leave at school, but since I’m only in a couple of senior project classes anyway, my professors cleared me for an extended deadline. The fencing scholarship funds were already through and I worked it out with the coach that as long as I go to practice I don’t have to compete in any of the events.”

Apparently that was everything, since Roxas more or less ground to a halt, staring at his half-eaten burger. Axel swallowed another handful of fries before he asked, “And they still don’t have any more information?”

There was no need to ask what information they were looking for-- the accident loomed as a constant shadow behind the kid, hanging at the end of every sentence, every tired look. Roxas seemed to shrink back into it, the light humor Axel had glimpsed earlier that afternoon fading away.

“It’s ongoing. No leads. No sign of when he’s going to wake up. If he’s going to wake up.” Roxas frowned into his plate, then looked up at Axel, eyes unreadable. “It used to bug me, you know? When people called me Repeat. Like, for the longest time, it made me feel like I wasn’t able to do anything on my own, because Ven had already done it, and he’d done it better than I ever could. I was just doing the same thing over and over, following in his footsteps. I mean, I'm even getting the same degree, and I'll probably end up applying to the Academy too. I would never measure up to his standards, not matter how hard I tried.”

He looked away, fidgeting with the straw wrapper. “Now everyone calls me Roxas, and it feels like they’ve already given up. Like he’s already gone, and it’s only me now.”

“Good thing we bumped into each other, then,” said Axel, forcing a grin. The kid could probably use a hug, but Axel remembered the strong grip on his wrist that afternoon and decided that additional physical contact probably was not in his best interest. Roxas didn’t come off as a touchy-feely kind of guy. “Because if there’s one thing I’m good at, it’s annoying people. Ven will be sick of me in no time, and he’ll wake up just to tell me to shut up and let him get some rest. You should try setting Demyx on him, too. We’ll annoy him back into consciousness.”

To prove his point, he stole a fry off of Roxas’ plate. Roxas stared at him, expression a mixture of irritation and disbelief.

“That’s not how it works,” he said at last, pulling his plate out of Axel’s reach as there was another attempt on his fries.

“I know,” said Axel, managing to grab one anyway. “But it sounds like you need some variety in your life, kid, and if there’s one thing I’m good at, it’s surprising people. Keeps life interesting.”

“I take it back,” said Roxas, pulling his plate farther away from Axel’s reach, although there was a bit of a smile in his voice. “I’m going to call Zexion and Lexaeus and let them know you’re a terrible person who shouldn’t be allowed into the room because you might set things on fire.”

“Once, that was once,” countered Axel, resigning the fight and dipping his own fries back into the sauce on his plate. He jabbed a dripping fry in Roxas’ direction. “And if Ven was awake right now, he would agree that it was _awesome_.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a few quick notes--  
> I did some research and apparently it's not uncommon for nurses to pull 24 hour shifts if they're in small or critical positions. I imagine Demyx working in a hospital where coma patients are kept in the ICU, and he had a prexisting clearance (which is a whole other ficlet) that made him one of the ideal candidates to care for a patient under lockdown. I'm writing him with some of the goofiness we see in the 358/2 manga, so scenes with him will usually be comic relief.


	3. The Signs Were Sent

“You’ve been keeping up with your studies?”

The question wasn’t unexpected, nor was the practiced lunge that followed after the words. Roxas brought up his own sabre to knock the latter aside, then deflected the former with a question of his own.

“Have you ever known me _not_ to turn in something on time?” he asked, pushing through the parry with an attack of his own. Cloud easily turned it aside, pressing forward again, his sword flicking towards Roxas’ unguarded side. Roxas grunted, catching the blade and carrying the weight of the lunge on a pivot, then sidestepped to avoid the follow-up attack. “I’ll figure it out,” he said, taking a step back to regroup. “I’ve just hit a bit of a snag, things seem to be stuck in a for loop when I try to execute a recall command.”

“Hmm,” was Cloud’s noncommittal response, although he did take a step back. They stood poised, ready to strike, watching their opponent for any hint of movement or intent. Their breath came quickly-- they had only worked up a light sweat in the hour or so of training, but the room was hot, and the air stale. Roxas swayed a little on his feet, trying to blink away the exhaustion of another long night debugging code.

“Aerith says a stranger’s been seen multiple times in Ven’s room,” Cloud said, following it up with another swift thrust. Roxas, startled by the taunt, missed the blade and felt the hit on his stomach. He stepped back, thrown off guard, and raised a hand to the spot. Cloud frowned, lowered his blade, and held it to the side. “That’s enough for today.”

“Sorry, no, we can keep--”

“No, there’s no point. Your thoughts are clearly elsewhere, and I can see that you haven’t been taking care of yourself again.” Cloud pulled off his mask, riffling fingers through his hair and getting them back to their usual spiky heights. “You’ve put in enough this time to satisfy the brass anyway. Go home. Sleep. Get some rest.”

“Yes Mom,” muttered Roxas, pulling off his mask and knowing his own hair looked just as messy. He tucked the helmet under his arm and pulled off his gloves, not wanting to look the older man in the eye.

“Who is he?” Cloud asked, following him back to the locker rooms so they could change out of their gear. Roxas shrugged out of his jacket, hanging it in his locker and tucking his sword into its case before returning that inside as well.

“His name’s Axel. He’s an old school friend of Ven’s, and he rooms with Demyx. I found him snooping in the room, called him out on it, and he sent me a pizza so I wouldn’t get him arrested for trespassing.” He snorted, then chucked his gloves in after his shoes. He gave Cloud a pointed look. “Dr. Gainsborough gave him the all clear to visit.”

“I know him, tangentially,” said Cloud, pulling off his own attire. He paused, apparently contemplating their previous encounters. Then he resumed dressing down, shrugging off his own jacket and shoes. “I don’t know how confident I would be in Demyx’s judge of character, but Aerith knows people. If she thinks it’s a good idea, then it is.” He said this with a slight smile, though it was half hidden as he reached into his locker to pull out a showering kit.

“I’ve only seen him a couple of times, mostly in passing,” admitted Roxas. “And Zexion pulled his file and said he’s more or less an upstanding citizen. The fact that he lives with Demyx and hasn’t murdered him yet is probably a good indication that he is a patient and charitable sort of person.”

“Mm,” agreed Cloud, closing up his locker and hefting the showering kit to one hip. He patted Roxas on the shoulder as he passed, heading towards the showers. “I meant what I said. Go home, get some rest. I’m not going to fail you for ducking out of practice early.”

“I promised Namine we’d hang out tonight,” Roxas said, picking up his own towel and shower kit. “I’m meeting her after her seminar lets out and then we’re getting dinner.”

Cloud quirked an eyebrow, giving Roxas a slight smile. “You’re going on a date?”

Roxas sighed, pushing past Cloud. “If by ‘date’ you mean ‘meeting at a pre-arranged time to partake in food together,’ then yes. She’s my best friend, we’re not dating.”

“Aerith is my best friend,” countered Cloud, walking behind him before turning off towards the shower he always used.

“It’s so weird that you’ve been dating my brother’s doctor,” Roxas sighed, setting his things down in his own stall. He pulled off the rest of his clothes, set them in the changing area, then turned the taps full blast. A wave of cold water hit him, eliciting a yelp. He backed out of the spray, frantically spinning the hot water tap. “I mean, Radiant Gardens has, what, like, thousands of people. What are the odds?”

“When you’re in the academy section of town, everybody knows everyone,” replied Cloud over the hiss of his own shower. Apparently _his_ water came on hot immediately, or maybe he was just immune to the cold. “Do you want a ride over to the hospital? I’m meeting Aerith, and our meeting is definitely a date.”

Roxas laughed, and ducked his head under the slowly warming water, rinsing off the sweat and dust from practice. When he came out for air, he felt cooler, more awake, but still tired. The thought of catching a ride with Cloud was tempting, but the hospital wasn’t that far from the school’s sports center, and he wasn’t meeting Namine for a few hours yet. The walk would do him good, and he didn’t think Ven would begrudge him the fresh air after two hours in a stifling gym. He’d still have time to visit and chat with Ven before Namine got out of her lecture.

He rinsed off the lingering suds, turned off the water, then stepped out of the shower, feeling slightly more refreshed. “Nah,” he said over the patter of Cloud’s shower. “I’ll just walk and take the scenic route, it’ll do me good. Gotta get some exercise in since we’re clocking out early, right?” _Also_ , he thought to himself as he toweled off and got dressed, _you’ll be in the shower and then primping for another 50 minutes at the very least_.

“Alright,” Cloud agreed, but he popped his head out of the shower curtain to give Roxas a stern look. “But remember what I said. Sleep. Rest. If you don’t, I’ll have to chew out Leonhart for working you too hard, and then he’ll be angry at both of us.”

“Right, right,” Roxas waved goodbye as he finished collecting his things. “I’ll see you on Wednesday. Have fun on your date, and tell Dr. Gainsborough I said hi.”

 - - -

Maybe it was the fact that he’d just gotten out of what was essentially a cold shower, or that the school kept the sports center at an abnormally high temperature whenever it was below 70 degrees outside, but when Roxas headed off on his walk, he was glad that he’d opted to bring along a light jacket. The days were warm, but the nights still cool with that lingering memory of cool spring breezes. In a week or two he wouldn’t have even bothered, since summer came fast and hard in the city, not like the temperate climate of the Destiny Islands or Mainland.

He tugged the zipper a little higher and hefted his bag higher on his shoulder, heading towards the hospital at a steady clip. He didn’t really need to rush, not with an extra two hours to kill, but he could spend the extra time with Ven, tell him about the day and what he planned to do over the weekend. Maybe not the most exciting thing to talk about-- there was only so much you could do to make writing and debugging a program sound exciting -- but Ven, at least, would’ve know the logic and functions behind the thing Roxas was attempting to get to work, and he might’ve even had some suggestions on getting around some of the snarls in the code.

A sudden wind rolled down the street, stirring up trash and swirling it around his feet as he walked. There was a bite in the breeze, a reminder that they still had a few more weeks of spring  to get through before they could officially call it summer, and he tugged the jacket on closer, bracing against the wind. When it finally died down he looked up, and out of the corner of his eye he glimpsed one of the signs swinging back and forth, caught up in the same breeze. If it had been any other day, he probably would have ignored it, but today, there was something nagging at the back of his mind when he caught sight of the store’s logo.

For whatever reason, the strange little sign of the little shadow critter skulking above the doorway to the storefront looked vaguely familiar. He’d walked down this road a hundred times, so it was probably nothing more than that, but Roxas paused in his walk to contemplate the building and its peculiar little mascot in full.

It was one of those old row homes that had started off as a house, found a new life as a shop, and, based on the personal knick knacks in the upper story windows, had come to some happy medium between residential upper story apartments and main floor business property. The exterior was more or less maintained, but there was no indication in the front window of what the shop actually sold, and with the curtains drawn, there was no way to peek inside.

He turned his gaze back to the sign again, squinting at the naggingly familiar little figure. _Heartless, Heartless….where have I heard that recently?_ He turned the word over and over in his head, coming up blank. He shook his head, sighed, and stuck his hand in his jacket pockets, turning back in the direction towards the hospital.

That was when his fingers brushed against the cool, smooth surface of card stock. He pulled out the object and his eyes were immediately drawn to the little _Heartless_ mascot skulking across the shadowy paper. Surprised, he flipped the card over and saw Axel’s name and contact information, complete with the offer of a free consultation for design work before the actual sitting.

Roxas squinted at the card, then looked up at the building again. So they were… what, a graphic design studio? Given what he’d seen of Axel and Demyx’s apartment, it was clear that one of them painted and drew. So maybe he did marketing or something, although the little Heartless mascot, while cute in its own special way, might be a bit off-putting to some potential clients.

Should he pop in to say hello? Would it be weird for him to show up in the middle of the afternoon just to say ‘ _Hi, I was in the neighborhood and saw that you worked here so I thought I’d stick my head in_ ’? What else would he even have to say, and would Axel be angry if he came in during the middle of the day? They weren’t _friends_ , although Axel had followed up on his promise to visit Ven when he could, which raised Roxas’ estimation of him considerably. At the heart of it, though, he was still Repeat, riding the coattails of his brother’s friendship. But then, Axel had given him the card, told him to call whenever, so would that extend to actually visiting at work?

He pulled out his phone, flicking it awake to check the time. 3:30. As nice as it was to have the extra time, it meant his routine was off, and he wasn’t sure what to do. Technically he should still be fencing with Cloud, and the studious part of him thought that he should spend the extra time working on his program-- he hadn’t been lying to Professor Strife when he said that he’d run into a coding snarl, and Professor Leon wouldn’t be happy to hear that he’d more or less come to a complete stop with no clue (or interest) in how to continue.

Still… two hours meant that, at the very least, he could spend a few minutes to pop his head in to say hello-- and Axel probably wouldn’t mind. It wouldn’t be long, but it might be a good time to stop by, just to say hello and thanks for visiting Ven, and then maybe--

His pocket buzzed.

He stared at the phone in his hand, the time updating to 3:31, and felt the vibration in his pocket on his thigh again. And suddenly, every trivial thought that had been flitting about in his head disappeared, his intent for a surprise visit completely forgotten. He looked up, briefly, then tugged his hoodie further down. He reached into his pocket, pressed “Accept Call”, and started down the block at a rapid pace, listening as the other person began to speak.

 

The coffee had long since cooled in his hands and he’d barely touched it, but he couldn’t quite bring himself to care. Roxas slumped in the chair, staring at the black liquid in his mug, but not really seeing it. He was more frustrated with himself than anything. It was stupid to get his hopes up, to think there might’ve been something different than what it always was, but he hadn’t quite managed to crush out that brief bit of hope.

And for what? A few exchanged words, and then silence for another week, two weeks, three. The calls were never long, no more than five minutes, and really, what were they accomplishing? He always felt like crap when he hung up, and he knew the afternoon was shot for studying, because there was no way he’d be focusing on lines of code now. Professor Leon would be furious, and he’d blame Professor Strife because that was easier than blaming Roxas for falling down on the job, and then they’d both be grumpy and irritated with him for a week or two.

He sighed, using the little plastic straw to stir the coffee. But then, the alternative would be to stop getting these calls, and as much as they frustrated him, well…. He took a long pull at the cold coffee and scowled. In the background noise of the coffee shop, he could hear the door jangle as another patron swept into the room, and a familiar voice called out a greeting to the bouncy barista behind the bar.

“Hey Selphie, can you do up a batch of our usual? Three to go, Bossman’s only got, like, 15 minutes before his next appointment and you know how snippy he gets without his sugar bomb,” said Axel, dropping exact change for his order onto the counter and a dollar into the tip jar. Roxas looked up, startled out of his funk, and he focused on Axel’s back as Selphie rang him up.

“Roger roger!” she chirped, closing up the register and starting the orders. Axel chatted with her a bit as she started up the steamer, although their conversation was lost to Roxas over the noise of the espresso grinder and milk steamer. As Selphie skipped over to grab some more supplies, Axel turned around to lean against the counter, the picture of relaxed. That’s when he caught sight of Roxas at his little table, and his eyebrows lifted in surprise, but there was a grin on his face as he sauntered over to sit in the vacant chair.

“What’s a guy like you doing in a place like this?” he asked with a laugh. He nodded at the cup in Roxas’ hands. “It’s clearly not for the coffee, although I have it on good authority that it’s much better hot.”

“Aren’t most things?” giggled Selphie, bringing over a coffee holder with three cups to go. She placed it down in front of him, then produced another takeaway cup from the counter. She swiftly swapped out Roxas’ mug with the new to-go cup, and gave him a wink when he looked up, confused. “Free refill!” she explained, then skipped back to her place behind the bar.

“Th-thanks,” stutterer Roxas, looking back down at the cup in his hands with confusion. Axel stood, picking up his order.

“You heading out?” he asked, nodding to Roxas’ cup. Roxas shrugged, looking over at Selphie, who gave him another thumbs up and a shooing motion, a grin from ear to ear.

“I guess I am,” he said, standing up as well. “I should probably get over to the hospital soon anyway. I meant to be there 30 minutes ago.”

He held the door for Axel, who juggled the coffee holder long enough to throw Selphie a salute (which she returned with the click of her heels.) Roxas followed after, shivering in the cold again. Axel took a swift step to the other side of him, effectively cutting off the cold breeze.

“So, you playing hooky today?” Axel asked, shortening his stride to match pace with Roxas. “Miss the school bus or something? Serve detention?”

“Ha ha,” Roxas deadpanned, taking a sip of his coffee at last. Axel had been right, it was much better hot. “I wanted to stretch my legs and walk to the hospital, but I had to take a call and didn’t want to stand around in the cold so I ducked in and got coffee. I hadn’t realized you worked so close by.”

Axel shrugged, popping out one of the drinks and taking a sip. “Yeah, it’s not a bad spot, and the shop’s decent enough size for the three of us. Plus it means if we need the car for whatever reason I can park it over there and use Dem’s hospital parking pass for free. Parking in this part of town is kinda a bitch, too many damn yuccie shops-- ours included.”

“Yuccie?”

“Eh, think entitled hipsters with a flair for yuppie consumerism,” Axel replied. He stuck the cup back into the holder, then looked at his watch, then back at Roxas.

“How quick can you drink that down?” he asked, turning down the street towards the _Heartless_ studio or shop or whatever it was.

“I mean, the coffee really is good, but it’s too hot for me to finish drinking it before we reach the shop,” Roxas replied, a bit confused at the sudden change of subject. Axel shook his head and stopped by the front door of the building.

“Lemme drop these off, then I can give you a quick lift over to the hospital,” Axel said, pushing the door open and nodding Roxas inside. “It’ll be a five minute ride as opposed to a 20 minute walk, and you already look like you’re half-frozen. We can figure out how to take the coffee with us.”

“You don’t have to--”

“No big deal,” Axel interrupted, nudging him through the door and kicking it closed behind them. “I’ve still got time before I need to start, and it’s better than just sitting in the kitchen, staring at the ceiling fan.”

Roxas frowned, although he gratefully soaked in the heat of what was once a grand entry hall, and now apparently a reception area. “Didn’t you say you have an appointment?” he asked, taking another sip of the coffee.

“Bossman has an appointment,” Axel corrected, waving that objection aside. “Being the awesome employee that I am, I came in extra early to get coffee orders before clocking in.” He set down the coffee holder and extracted one of the cups, then made his way around the receptionist’s stand. He knocked on the closed door before cracking it open and setting the cup down inside with a quick “Coffee delivery!” before closing the door again. “ _Bossman,”_  he mouthed to Roxas as he headed back to the front desk.

He picked up another of the cups and walked through to the old parlor area, moving one of the rolling office chairs out of the way as he wended his way over to a small desk in the corner. “Anyway,” he continued as he set the coffee cup down and moved papers out of the way, “I’m working extra hours tomorrow, so he won’t care if I clock in a few minutes late today. Oh! Yeah, that reminds me, I might not be able to spend as much time over there tomorrow, but I’ll still be there.”

“Oh! Ok,” replied Roxas, who hadn’t known that Axel intended to keep showing up on his days off. As he pondered why that cheered him up, he took in the scene with its various chairs of different heights, reclining angles, and-- was that a medical bed in the corner? There were random paintings and artwork cluttering the walls, too-- some of those, at least, he recognized. The style was similar to the works he’d glimpsed in their apartment, which could only mean--

“You’re a tattoo artist!” he exclaimed, wondering why it had taken him this long to put two and two together. Granted, he hadn’t really had very long conversations with Axel, not since they’d gone to dinner that one time, and even then, Axel had been more interested in learning about what Ven had been up to than talking about himself. Still. The tattoos he’d glimpsed under Axel’s sleeves and the artwork hanging around the apartment might’ve given him a clue earlier on if he’d been paying proper attention.

Axel turned from his desk, making his way back towards the entry hall, but another high-pitched voice interrupted him before he could respond.

“My god, Axel, he’s like, twelve. Please tell me you got proper ID before you set the appointment.” A fierce looking blonde woman had materialized behind the receptionist counter while Roxas had been watching Axel, and her sharp voice cut through the air. She glared at Axel over her coffee cup, taking a long drag at whatever her ‘usual’ was. Axel sighed.

“Chill, Larx, we’re just doing a coffee drop. I’m gonna drive him over to RGH real quick before Wedge comes--I’ll be back in no time, and it’s not like Marley needs me to start his prep work. I’ll be there when they’re ready to start.” Axel came back into the entrance hall, gesturing to Roxas.

“This is the kid I’ve been telling you about, Ven’s little brother, Roxas.” He gestured to the woman. “Roxas, this is Larxene. Best not to piss her off,” he advised. He paused a beat. “Also don’t let her get too close to you when she’s got a piercing gun in her hands and she’s feeling vindictive. She’s too good at what she does, you know? You won’t even feel it and then BAM! You’ve got a ring through your nose and four gauges in your ear.”

“Why Axel, that was almost a compliment! How flattering,” Larxene sneered, but her attention was focused on Roxas, who squirmed under her sharp gaze.

“I’m almost 21,” was the only defense he could come up with. For whatever reason, though, this amused her. She threw back her head and cackled-- an honest to god laugh that would do any evil stepmother or wicked witch proud. Roxas decided that it would be better not to suggest this to her, and bit his tongue.

“ _Anyway_ ,” said Axel, herding Roxas back out the door, “Like I said, taking him to the hospital, and I’ll be back in plenty of time for Marley’s session. Please don’t scare away any customers before I have a chance to charm them back.”

“Oh, you’re no fun,” she huffed, but she leaned against the desk and gave Roxas a smile. “I’ll be seeing you later, short stack.”

“Uh… I guess,” Roxas replied, although he wasn’t quite sure if that was a promise or a threat. She watched them as they exited the building, fingers drumming against the cup and her gaze intent. When they stepped outside again and she could no longer watch them, he shivered. “She’s kind of… intense.”

“Nah, don’t sweat it. She’s mostly bark, very little bite,” Axel replied, leading him down the narrow alley that led to the driveways at the back of the buildings. He walked over to the small shed leaning against the house, spun the combination lock on the door, then popped it open. “Here, catch.”

Roxas raised his hand in time to block a helmet tossed in his general direction.

“Coffee!” he yelped, even as the helmet bounced away from him. Axel emerged from the shed wheeling a bright red motorcycle, putting down the kickstand so he could put on his own helmet.

“Sorry about that,” he said, sounding not in the least sorry. “You’re a college student, so you should be good at chugging stuff, right?”

“For the last time, I don’t party,” Roxas insisted, although he made a valiant effort to suck down as much of the drink as possible. He got about half of it down before he broke for air, then took several more gulps to get the rest of it down.

“Well, as exciting as your life sounds, I can guarantee you that it pales in comparison to what you’re about to experience.”

For the second time in the span of five minutes, Roxas wasn’t sure if that was meant to be a joke or a threat. When it all came down to it, though, Axel wasn’t a _terrible_ driver. For all his posturing, Axel obeyed the speed limit, didn’t weave in and out of local traffic, didn’t attempt any wheelies, and they did, in fact, get to the hospital in far less time than it would’ve taken Roxas to walk the remaining few miles. Axel dropped him off by the entrance, idling as Roxas released his death grip on Axel’s jacket and removed the helmet. As Roxas wiggled off the seat from behind Axel, the red-head spoke up.

“You should come to Demyx’s gig this month,” he said over the purr of the engine. He said it with such conviction that for a moment, Roxas wondered if Axel had been talking to him about it during the drive and he just hadn’t heard it over the engine noise. Axel continued, oblivious to Roxas’ confusion.

“His band plays at a local bar close to here, and it’s 18 plus so as long as you’re there with a responsible adult,” -- he wiggled his eyebrows -- “you can get in. If you have friends who might wanna come, bring them, too. He always plays better when he has a bigger audience.”

“Uh, yeah, maybe, I have to see how homework goes--”

“AGAIN with the homework!”

“But I should be able to make it, sure,” replied Roxas, ignoring the interruption. “I mean, that could be kinda cool. Maybe. I’ll ask Demyx more about it when I see him.” He paused. “What kind of music does he play?”

“It’s Demyx,” was the simple reply. “I don’t know how to better explain it.”

Roxas laughed, hefting his bag further up on his shoulder. “I guess I’ll bring some earplugs too, then. Just in case.”

“Probably a good call anyway,” Axel replied, shifting on the bike. “So… I guess I’ll see you tomorrow at the hospital after my shift?”

“Yeah, that works!” agreed Roxas.

“It’s a date then!” laughed Axel, who saluted and then started the bike back up to return to work.

Roxas stood a moment longer watching after the retreating motorcycle, despite the chill. Why did everyone assume that as soon as you scheduled to hang out it was an automatic ‘date’? He’d have to get Namine’s opinion on it, she was the one with the psychology degree and was always good at figuring this sort of stuff out.

He frowned, realizing that he’d agreed to meet Axel twice-- both tomorrow, and later for Demyx's show. Was it weird to be hanging out with his older brother’s childhood friend? It almost seemed like he was cheating on Ven by stealing his friend. Or was Axel using him to relive the good old days, with Roxas being just the visual cue he needed? What the heck was up with that guy anyway?

Another gust of wind broke his musings, and he hurried inside to get out of the cold. If he was a good student, he’d go in and get started on his coding so he’d have something even _sort of_ functional to run by Professor Leon tomorrow. If he was a good student, he’d find an excuse to bow out the upcoming concert and spend the entire weekend shut in, figuring out what show-stopper project he was going to do for his senior thesis in the remaining three months that he had to finish the work. A good student would ignore outside distractions like phone calls, coffee breaks, and concerts.

He was a good student. Normally. But even good students have their limit, and he’d been awfully rule-abiding the last few weeks. A few days of lax scheduling wouldn’t put him too far behind, right? He sighed again. He _definitely_ had to talk to Namine about things.

\- - -

“So wait, he’s already taken you back to his place and you’ve been to his room?” asked Namine. She started at him across the table, fork frozen halfway to her mouth. She caught herself, lowered the food back to the plate, and frowned as Roxas felt the blood rush to his face.

“ _Not like that_ ,” Roxas sighed, rubbing his temples. “I helped him get Demyx upstairs into their apartment, and I stood in the living room while he made sure Demyx made it into bed.”

“And then you went into his room?”

“ _No!”_  he shouted, then winced at the volume and lowered his voice. “No,” he repeated more calmly, “I stood in the living room, and then we went out for ice cream and dinner. There was no bedroom. Well, I mean, he has one I’m sure, but I didn’t go in it, I didn’t ask to see it, and why do you keep coming back to this?”

“Hmm,” was all she said, taking another bite of food and avoiding the need to elaborate. He knew that ‘hmm’ though.

“It’s not like that,” he argued. “We just talked. Mostly about Ven. He wanted to know how long we’d been back. I think he was upset when he found out we’ve been here a while and Ven didn’t bother trying to track him down again. I dunno. Is that weird? Do you think it’s weird? I’m so damn tired I don’t think I can parse reality all that well anymore.”

“I don’t think it’s weird, no.” Namine sipped her tea, then tapped her chin. “Do you want my honest opinion?” He nodded, and he could see the smile trying to escape. “It sounds like he’s trying to be friendly, and maybe he’s a little more outgoing than the people you’re used to, and maybe it’s because you’ve been dealing with so many uncertainties for the last few months that everything new seems like a threat.” She grinned, “And maybe you’re just a little over-reactive and paranoid, but that’s what makes you so lovable,” she teased.

“So you don’t think it’s weird that he wants to hang out with me?” he asked. “You don’t think this is some ploy he’s using to try fill the Ven-shaped void under some weird pretense of friendship?”

She tilted her head, and he was glad to see that she was giving it some honest thought and not just laughing him off outright. In the end she shrugged, steepling her fingers together. She rested her chin on them, smiling as she looked at him.

“I can see how you come to that conclusion,” she said at last, “but in all honesty, it doesn’t sound like that’s the case to me. I mean, think about how Sora would act if he met up again with an old friend.”

Roxas laughed, relaxing into the booth. “He’d drive them up the walls and smother them with affection.” He shrugged, poking at the food on his plate a bit more. “I mean, he’s not quite as bad as that, I guess I’m just not used to dealing with people who are so….I dunno. Friendly?”

She laughed, picking up her fork again. “So you’re bringing me to the show to meet him, right? I mean, I know Demyx well enough so I don’t think he’d mind, and I’d like to meet this Axel so I can give you a more informed opinion on whether or not he’s actually trying to stalk you.”

“You don’t mind?” Roxas asked, feeling some relief at knowing that he would have an ally with him on unfamiliar territory around unknown people. She smiled, patting his hand before turning back to her food.

“Of course I don’t mind,” she laughed. “I’m nosy, I wanna meet this guy.”

They spent the rest of the dinner sharing school-related grievances, Roxas with his non-functioning project that was supposed to be more or less finished by the end of the week. He had to admit, though, it sounded like Namine’s past few classes had been far more tedious.

“...And when I came back into the room with the towels, they’d managed to get the rest of the paints halfway out the window,” she laughed. “It takes a special kind of person to deal with kids under the age of ten, and I’m so glad I’m done the unit next week so I can go back to working with seniors.”

“Did you have to clean it up?” Roxas asked, taking a sip from his water and trying to imagine Namine halfway up the school building, scrubbing away at a cascade of paint while a rowdy bunch of kids screamed and caused even more chaos below.

“Fortunately, no. Apparently this wasn’t the first time they’d done something like this, so the school has this massive power-washer. It took them nearly an hour to--”

Roxas’ phone interrupted Namine, startling them both. He frowned and pulled it out of his pocket, wondering who would be calling him this late in the evening. He checked the number and paled, hastily accepting the call.

“What’s happened?” he asked, voice tight. Namine reached across the table and grabbed his free hand in both of hers, gripping it as he listened to the other end of the phone. He swallowed as the voice on the other end of line spoke, giving Namine’s hand a quick squeeze. “So it’s not…? Ok. Ok, good. Yeah, we’ll be right there.”

 - - -

 “I don’t want you to get your hopes too high,” Dr. Gainsborough said, gently holding his hand as he sat in the chair, eyes wide. “It’s early, yet-- yes, I know how long it’s been, you’ve been incredibly strong these past few months and I know it’s been difficult. But signs suggest that his brain activity is increasing, which is a good sign, recovery-wise. Fluttering eyelids, moving his fingers-- these are all really positive signs. We still have a long road ahead of us,” she warned, “but I thought you’d want to know the good news as soon as possible.”

“So you think he’s gonna be ok?” he asked, voice small. Namine squeezed his shoulders, giving him her silent support. Doctor Gainsborough hesitated, a small frown on her face.

“Roxas, in cases like this nothing is ever certain,” she said gently, and he could hear the ‘but’ implied there. “You also have to remember that ‘Ok’ is a relative term. He might wake up, but we don’t know how extensive the damage may be. People have recovered from worse, it’s true, but everyone heals at their own pace. It could be months, it could be years. And some damage cannot be healed all the way.” She smiled, squeezing his hands again.

“But he’s scored high on the last few response tests over the last couple of days, and tonight he did really well. You know that we’re going to do everything we can to make him as comfortable as possible and help him every step of the way. I know it’s been difficult for you, but you’ve helped him so much already. I’m so proud of you, and I know he is too.”

Roxas sniffed, bringing a sleeve up to scrub across his eyes as Aerith pulled him in for a hug. She patted him on the back, waiting til he’d calmed a bit, then stood, smiling down at him and Namine.

“I’ve told the staff you’d probably want to sit in with him for a bit longer, but don’t make it too late, ok? You need to get your rest, too.”

“R-right,” he said, getting up to follow her to the door. “Thank you. For everything.”

She patted his shoulder again, gave him another smile, then stepped outside. Cloud had been deep in conversation with Zexion, and they both looked up as Aerith walked out. She gave them both a brilliant smile as she linked arms with Cloud, then turned to give everyone a final wave before guiding Cloud down the hallway, presumably off to finish their interrupted date. Zexion gave Roxas a small, rare smile before turning his attention back to his computer, and Namine waited in the hall, giving him time to go in and talk to Ven alone. Roxas headed into the room again, closing the door with a gentle click.

Ven didn’t look like he’d moved at all, but there’d been signs, medical signs, responses to stimulus, _proof_ after almost four months of anxious waiting that he might finally be waking up. Maybe in a few hours, a few days, whatever, but his brother would be waking up. He would get to see Ven again, talk to him, hear his brother’s voice, see him open his eyes. Roxas gripped Ven’s hand, sitting beside him on the bed and leaning over to straighten the bangs that had fallen into his face.

“So you heard what the doctor said. You’ve gotta rest up and save your strength, because while you’ve been napping, there’s been a lot of stuff going on, and I’ve gotta get you caught up to speed. I mean, we’ll take it slow so you don’t get too tired, but I know you’re gonna wanna hear everything,” he promised, then rubbed away more tears as they threatened to spill.

They were almost a welcome relief. After those first few initial weeks of stress and fear and worry, he’d worn himself out to the point where he couldn’t anymore. It’d been months since he’d cried. Namine had said something about his brain going into a state of emotional numbness to try to lessen the pain, but he’d thought it was more likely that he was just too damn sad and tired to shed any more tears.

But he also remembered someone asking him at some point how he’d stayed so calm and strong through all the weeks of fear and worry, and he could only shrug and say that Ven had shown him how. He gripped his brother’s hand, thinking back to the night their parents had died.

_Ven, not even eighteen, had been on his own at home when the news broadcast started. He’d been unable to contact Roxas or Xion, not knowing exactly where they were, or when they’d come home. If they’d come home. Ven, alone in the house, watching the news as footage of the attack played over and over, an attack in the area where their parents had been celebrating their wedding anniversary._

_Roxas and Xion had come home from a friend’s house after the movie finished, unaware of the chaos unfolding twenty miles from home. They’d found Ven in the middle of a panic attack, shouting at the automated voice of an answering machine telling him that the number he was trying to reach was unavailable._

_When he saw them, he’d shouted at them for worrying him, not telling him where they were going to be before going out. It was the first time the twins had ever really seen Ven angry-- more scared and worried than anything, really, since the attack had closed down sections of the city and snarled communication lines._

_It’d taken them almost 20 minutes to help him calm down enough to learn what had happened, and another 20 minutes for him to admit that he was worried that he’d lost all of them in one terrible night, and that he’d be alone._

_Not that the police had called them that night. They’d huddled on the couch, shivering under blankets as they watched footage of the downtown area in flames, knowing that their parents had been there, unable to reach either one on their cellphones, hoping for the best, knowing the worst was yet to come._

_The surreal, vivid memory of the officers coming to their door early the next morning, asking if they could come in. The argument afterwards, Ven threatening the officers when they suggested Child Services take in the twins who were only 13 at the time, just for a few days until a family member could come take them into custody._

_The officers had agreed to leave them in his care as a temporary measure, and Ven holding them close, promising that they would never be alone, that he would watch out for them, take care of them, no matter what._

_Had Ven had any idea of what he was getting into when he enlisted in the forces after graduating? Had he any inkling of the dangers he would face, the job that would send him jumping out of a moving car before it crashed into the warehouse, triggering the accident that would change his life forever? The irony that his promise to keep them safe had led him down a path towards yet another explosion that had almost taken him from them? And that this time, it was Roxas holding his hand, promising that he wouldn’t be alone?_

Ven lay silent, the quiet beeping filling the space between them. Roxas sniffed again, wiping away the tears that had fallen as he thought back on how far they’d come, and how far they had to go. It’d seemed so hopeless, but now….

“I’ve gotta tell Xion,” he said, pulling out his phone and pulling up her name to call. He stopped before he touched the button to dial her, though. It was almost two in the morning on the Islands, and as much as he knew she’d want to hear, it could wait until morning. He pulled up the messenger instead, and told her to give him a call as soon as she could.

He paused before putting his phone away. He’d be seeing him tomorrow, but Axel would probably want to know, too. Demyx wasn’t on duty tonight, so he wouldn’t hear until he came in later in the day. He could text them both-- he’d promised to keep them updated with news, hadn’t he?

He pulled up his contacts for both of them and sent a quick message:

  * _xx13 10:08 pm_ : Dr.G says tests suggest good news, V is improving-- keep your fingers crossed for the best.



He laughed, trying to imagine Ven’s reaction when he found out how Axel had ninja-ed his way into the locked ward. Knowing his brother, he’d probably threaten a citation, or at least a fine for trespassing.

There was one last person he needed to text, too. He took out his other phone, and sent them a “Call me as soon as you can” message, then slipped both phones back into his pockets. He turned his attention back to Ven.

“I can’t wait to tell you… everything. I’ve missed you so much. Just… wake up as soon as you can, ok? I’m gonna be right here.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for the kudos, comments, and subscriptions, you guys. Every little message always brightens my day! <3
> 
> If you're interested in backstory, [ I wrote a quick one-shot about the night mentioned in this chapter.](http://archiveofourown.org/works/12300699/chapters/29364438) Same warnings for terrorism and panic attacks are in that, too.


	4. Add up the Parts, You Won’t Have the Sum

Professor Leon stared at the screen, mouth pursed, his eyes following the program’s GUI display as it ran through the lines of code. After several minutes of intense scrutiny, he relaxed back in his chair and turned his attention to Roxas, who sipped at his coffee as he waited for the critique. Leon sighed, then pinched the bridge of his nose.

“You did _read_ the assignment prompt, right?” he asked, clearly already done with the conversation and probably the rest of the day, too, but given that he was a professor at a very busy school and it was only 10 o’clock in the morning, he had resigned himself to push through. Roxas could hear the defeat in the man’s voice, but didn’t quite feel guilty enough to care.

“Yeah,” he said, taking another sip and watching the program continue to run. “Basically automated data-mining. Easy. Boring. Not useful.” Professor Leonheart turned his attention back to the program to further contemplate the display.

“So explain to me why the spreadsheets are cascading like I just won a round of Solitaire.”

“I wanted to make it more exciting?” Roxas offered. When Leon just looked at him with those tired, tired eyes of someone clearly not getting paid enough to deal with cocky students, Roxas relented. “It got stuck and I couldn’t figure out why in time, so I figured I would make it visually more appealing?” he tried again.

“I can’t grade you on something that’s incomplete,” Professor Leon chided. “You could have at least gotten partial credit, but you didn’t even bother commenting out the broken sections.”

“That’s because the whole thing is broken and useless,” Roxas replied, reaching over to kill the program and end the looping error. The spreadsheet waterfall stopped on a page listing the GPD locations of the Academy’s CCTV units. “I don’t understand why you gave me an assignment that has nothing to do with my degree. I’m in cybersecurity, I should be writing toolkits and wading the grey waters of legality by hacking into the campus network and testing it for vulnerabilities. Correlating hundreds of Excel sheets about waste water management and parking fines is, like, the epitome of wasting my time _and_ yours.”

Professor Leon frowned at Roxas’ flippant response, scanning the code and shaking his head as he read deeper into the program. “I can’t give you full marks for something as slapped together and haphazard as this. I’ve seen Freshmen with hangovers turn in cleaner code. I expected more from you, Lux.”

Roxas grinned. “I happen to know for a fact that you were pleased with the results. Gave me commendations on the coding, in fact.”

Something finally snapped and Professor Leon actually _glared_ at him.

“Did you hack into the records office again?”

Roxas refrained from answering that self-incriminating question and decided to take a sip of coffee instead. Professor Leon closed his eyes and brought a hand up to rub away what was probably the beginning of another one of his stress migraines.

“What’s the point of giving you an assignment if you’re just gonna half-ass it and skew the records in the end?” he asked, although his tone implied that he didn’t really want an answer. Still, Roxas was feeling good--really good, despite the stupid program not completely working as intended.

“We both know it was just a filler assignment anyway,” he said with a shrug. “Am I really going to need a program that cross references spreadsheets across eight different fields of study?”

“You might if you’re working on a case with something like fraud, or running a forensic analysis on half-destroyed hard drives and you have to see if you can find incriminating evidence on them. You never know when you need to correlate seemingly unrelated data,” Professor Leon replied, his voice even and slow as though he were speaking to a particularly young and foolish child.

“You can’t expect to join the Academy forces by faking it-- you can show off infiltration skills all you want, but if you can’t prove that the data you collect is useful, then there’s no point in gathering it in the first place. And you can’t use evidence gathered illegally. Your brother would tell you that.”

That stung, and Roxas sighed, knowing that the professor was right. “Well, I’ll ask for his input as soon as he’s fully awake, then.”

This did catch Professor Leon’s attention. “There’s been a change in his condition?”

“It’s early, but Dr. Gainsborough says that recent signs are optimistic,” Roxas said with a grin, and that earned him a genuine smile, if small.

“That’s great to hear,” Professor Leon replied. “That’s really good news. I wish him the best in his recovery, keep me posted.” The brief glimpse of humor then disappeared back into his usual stern frown as he pointed to the computer. “Don’t think that you can distract me from this, though.”

“I knowww,” whined Roxas, slouching in his chair. He could feel the tension starting to rebuild as he thought of all of the assignments and things he still needed to do-- trust Professor Leon to bring the mood down.

“I’m serious, you’re a good student-- brilliant, even, when you put your mind to it,” Professor Leon said, sitting back in his chair. “But I needed your senior thesis topic a month ago-- I can’t let you go into summer vacation without an idea of what you plan to do in the final semester, and if you keep handing in broken bits of code, I’ll be forced to take action-- in person, with the dean. Don’t make me do that. I don’t want to see him. You don’t want to see him. He doesn’t want to see you. He’s vacationing the in islands for the summer and if he has to drive into the academy to deal with delinquents, no one is going to be happy.”

“I’ve got a couple of ideas, I’m just not sure which would be best as a project to present to the Academy,” Roxas said. “I need something to really wow them, something to show them that they should hire me in my own right, not because of my br-- not just because I can compile some public works spreadsheets.”

Professor Leon closed the laptop and handed it back to Roxas, shaking his head. “You know, that’s kinda why you have to check in with me every two weeks. I can advise you on things like that. It’s sort of what an advisor does.”

“Just give me til Monday, and I’ll have my top three ideas on your desk first thing. You can tell me what would be best, and then I’ll send you weekly reports and patch notes, if you want.” He gave Professor Leon a pointed frown. “Which would be easier if I don’t have to do more stupid projects like compiling spreadsheets.”

“Fine,” Professor Leon agreed, getting to his feet to open the door to his office. He held it for Roxas, then leaned against the doorframe to give him one final grim look. “Stop being a slacker, get those topics to me by 8am _sharp_ on Monday morning, and I won’t make you finish the rest of the assignments. Just give me something to work with, Lux. And don’t hack the damn admin account again.”

"Thanks Dad!" Roxas called as he darted out of the office before Leon could change his mind. Roxas was halfway down the corridor when he felt the rumble in his pocket-- his _other_ pocket, which could only mean that his message from last night had finally gotten through. He quickened his pace so he’d be outside and out of Professor Leon’s sight before he pulled it out of his pocket.

He headed towards the common green, where his fellow summer school students were enjoying the relatively warm sunshine. He headed over towards a secluded corner of the gardens, protected for the wind and a place where he could see everyone approaching him, his back protected by the large brick wall of the student commons. He dropped his backpack on one of the benches, then flicked the phone on.

“Finally, what took you so long?” he asked, settling down on to watch the other students mill about in the warm sunshine.

“I told you not to contact me on this number,” came the curt reply, the usual warm and gentle tones pitched higher with an ever-increasingly familiar undercurrent of fear. “Now I’m going to have to change phones again. Don’t call me, it’s for everyone’s safety, and I can’t--”

“They think Ven might be waking up soon,” he interrupted, knowing that the caller on the other end of the line might hang up at any moment if he didn’t speak up.

As he’d hoped, that did the trick. The voice went silent, but he could still hear the clicking of computer keys in the background, which meant that they were still listening. He took that as a good sign, so he continued, “Dr. Gainsborough says his tests are all coming back really positive, and even though they can’t assess full damage until he’s more awake, she thinks there’s been significant improvement. That he could wake up at any time now.”

To his surprise, there was no immediate response.

“Are you there?”

“That’s… other things are beginning to make sense now. His recovery, hm,” they replied, and he didn’t like the thoughtful, even more worried tone their voice had taken.

“It’s a good thing, though,” he urged, trying to understand their lack of enthusiasm. “If he’s able to communicate, if he can remember what really happened that night, then the charges--”

“How many people know about his improvement?” they interrupted, talking over him and still sounding none too pleased.

“I guess the people who ran the tests, so hospital staff. Probably the guards, some of my friends. Not a lot of people, I don’t wanna get anyone too excited. I only wanted to call you because I thought you’d be pleased,” he said, a bit hurt that they weren’t happier. They’d known Ven for years and had always seemed to like him-- didn’t they care about his condition at all?

“Roxas, there’s a flag in the system to pull the security detail on Ven’s room,” they replied, and he felt his heart stutter, the sounds of the laughing students growing distant under the sudden rush of blood pounding in his ears. He could still taste the last of his coffee, but it was tangy, bitter, and as he shivered in the sudden chill despite the early summer sun, he vaguely wondered if he was going to be sick.

The voice carried a tremble, too. “I’ve only been able to confirm this morning, that’s why I didn’t call earlier, but the motion was put in weeks ago-- probably as soon as it seemed like he was improving. Of course, they’ll play it off as a financial decision. It’s been almost four months and nothing has happened, so they can write it off as an unwarranted expense, especially if there aren’t a lot of people who are aware of the improvement in his condition. If there’s nothing official… damn. Damn, I’m sorry, Roxas, I’ve been on too long, I’ve got to go.”

He heard the computer sounds stop abruptly, and the chime of a PC powering down, followed by noises of someone very quickly gathering things up to leave in a rush.

“But--”

“Roxas, you need to be more careful. These people are dangerous, and they won’t hesitate to take action if they think you’re a threat. Don’t call this number again. Get rid of the phone. I’ll send you a new one as soon as I can.”

“But what about--?”

“I’ll see what I can do, Roxas, but you know my situation. I don’t have the ties I used to. I’m working in the dark here, but I still have friends who might be able to help. Don’t do anything stupid,” their voice softened, relenting a bit. “I promised Ven I wouldn’t let anything happen to you. Just be smart, and stay safe, ok? I’ll be in touch soon.”

They cut the connection, and Roxas was left with a dead phone and a disconnected beep. Another burner phone burned. He resisted the urge to throw it on the ground and slipped it into his pocket so that he could discreetly dispose of it at the first opportunity. ‘ _Don’t do anything stupid, my ass’_  he thought, standing and picking up his bag. He knew exactly who to ask to get to the bottom of this. He only hoped that he wouldn’t get arrested in the process.

Roxas used the campus shuttle to get a lift down to the police station, and he practically jumped out of the bus as soon as the doors opened. He took the station steps two at a time, hauling open the heavy doors and ignoring the surprised looks of the people he passed. He’d been in the precinct only a handful of times, and always when Ven was there to show him around, but he remembered the path to the police chief’s office well enough.

“I need to talk to Chief Xemnas!” he all but shouted to the receptionist, and the startled woman began to respond but he spoke over her, balling his hands into fists. “I know where his office is, it’ll only be five minutes, just let me speak with him.”

“I’m sorry,” the woman started, almost before he’d gotten the last of his sentence out, “I’m afraid it’s impossible to simply--”

 “ ** _Lux_ **?”

 The rasping voice interrupted the woman’s apologetic denial, and Roxas tensed, hearing the anger and surprise used to call out his name. Roxas and the receptionist turned to watch a tall, lanky officer heading down the hallway, coffee in one hand, nondescript folder in the other. He squinted at Roxas with his one good eye, then recognition flitted across his face, easing the tension in his face and posture.

“Ah. The young one,” stated Xigbar, Xemnas’ second in command. He all but swaggered over to the receptionist’s desk. He tucked the folders under one arm to reach out and take Roxas’ hand with the other. “What brings you here, Kid?”

“I need to speak to Xemnas--”

“No can do, kiddo,” interrupted Xigbar, taking a sip of his coffee. “He’s in a meeting right now, but if you wanna debrief me on what’s going on, I can pass the word along.”

“No, I need to speak with him directly. I can wait.”

“It’s not a matter of waiting, Kid, it’s a matter of priorities. Chief’s got more important things to deal with than someone stealing your ice cream.” Xigbar, frowned, glancing at the clock behind the receptionist, who, for her part, was studiously ignoring them both, now that Roxas was someone else’s problem. Xigbar shook his head, looking back at Roxas. “Don’t you have class or something to get to?”

“This isn’t a joke!” Roxas shouted, fists tightening on the straps of his backpack. He didn’t remember any of Ven’s other coworkers being such jerks, but then, he’d only really met Terra and Aqua, and later Zexion, Laexus, and Xaldin, but they’d been polite, even friendly to a point. Xigbar, on the other hand...

“HA!” barked Xigbar, leaning against the tall desk, “your brother used to give me that same look.” He raised his coffee and took another sip, then made shooing motions with the folder. “I mean it, Kid. The Chief doesn’t have time to deal with the little brothers of deadbeat agents.”

Xigbar turned, but Roxas rushed forward, gripping his arm.

“My brother is not a deadbeat!”

Roxas froze, releasing Xigbar’s arm almost immediately, seeing the cold fury in the officer’s good eye. For a moment, no one said anything. The lobby fell silent-- even the secretary had stopped typing and was watching with open interest. Roxas could see several other officers in the room now, most of whom he didn’t recognize. They were all watching him, intent, relaxed poses betrayed by several hands resting lightly on weapons. Roxas took another step away from Xigbar, who watched him with a cruel smile.

“I’d watch yourself if I were you, kid,” he murmured, low enough that only Roxas would be able to hear, despite the sudden hush in the room. “You Luxs seem to have a penchant for getting in over your head.”

Roxas jumped as another voice broke through the silence and tension in the room.

“What’s all this?”

Roxas took another step away from Xigbar, standing a little straighter as Chief Superintendent Xemnas walked through the doorway, taking the scene in with a calm, almost serene expression. Like magic, the rest of the station jumped back into action; the phone rang, officers suddenly had other places to be, and in 20 seconds, the area was back to its normal flow of traffic.

Xemnas settled his gaze on the tension between Xigbar and Roxas, his focus going first to his second in command, then shifting to the young man with wide eyes, pale face, and grim determination. The Chief walked over to them, holding out a hand to Roxas.

“Roxas, is it not? For a moment, I almost thought your brother had returned to us.” His eyes flicked to Xigbar. “Thank you, Detective Xigbar.”

Xigbar didn’t respond, but he nodded, turned an abrupt about-face, and hastened down the hallway. Roxas felt some of his tension leave with the man, but where Xigbar was brash, restrained anger, the chilly calm that settled over him as Xemnas took him to his office and pointed him into the visitor’s chair was somehow even more unsettling.

Xemnas watched him from across the large desk, fingers steepled, expression amiable and conciliatory. He didn’t speak, waiting for Roxas to explain himself, and Roxas knew that this was a police tactic meant to shift the balance in power in the conversation (Ven had used it often enough for him to know), but he honestly didn’t care. He managed to keep his words polite, even if his voice was a little strained.

“Sir, please don’t remove the protective detail from my brother’s room.”

Xemnas tilted his head ever so slightly, watching him with an unreadable expression. Again, Roxas knew this was probably meant to goad him to keep talking, but he bit his tongue, knowing that saying what he really _wanted_ to say wouldn’t help the situation. The Chief seemed to realize this, too, and after it became apparent that Roxas was not going to elaborate any further, Xemnas’ response was equally polite and deliberate in his choice of words.

“May I ask where you heard that information?” he asked, voice light, tone pleasant. Roxas resisted the urge to shrink back in the chair, trying to remember back to nights where Ven laughed about ways to manipulate the conversation, physical movements to lower someone’s guard, and tactics for questioning suspects. He remembered enough to know that Xemnas was employing several of those tactics now, and that he would have to be very careful in his responses, because his actions could affect the lives of several people, not just his own.

“So it’s true?” he asked instead, not that he had doubted the source, but he didn’t want to answer that question, and the confirmation settled in the pit of his stomach. Xemnas took a moment to answer, probably debating whether or not to demand that Roxas disclose his inside source. His golden eyes never wavered as he finally nodded his head.

“The paperwork is still being processed, but it’s been decided that the imminent threat to your brother has passed, and that department funds and manpower would be better spent elsewhere. The detail will be lifted in a few days, as soon as everything has been officially signed off.”

“But Sir--!”

Xemnas held up a hand, cutting off Roxas’ protest. “You understand that my hands are tied in this,” he continued. He leaned back in the chair, crossed his legs, and sighed. “Orders come from up above, and there’s been no further development in the case. I know it’s difficult to hear this, but we have followed every lead, exhausted every angle, and what’s more, we’ve exhausted the taxpayers’ resources, and still there is nothing. There have been no indications of any attempted attacks. We may never know the full scope of things, even if we locate Agents Terra and Aqua, or even if Ven wakes up.”

“He is going to wake up! Soon!” tried Roxas, wishing he had a copy of the report to show the Chief, something other than Aerith’s word, but Xemnas simply gave him a sympathetic smile.

“I know it’s been difficult for you,” he said, “and the whole department continues to wish for Ven’s full recovery, but we cannot keep using the department’s limited funds for a situation that looks increasingly like a waste of resources.” He switched legs, steepling his fingers. Roxas swallowed, not trusting his voice, but his fingers gripped the sides of his chair. If Xemnas noticed, he made no comment.

“You have to understand my position,” he continued, his voice calm, gaze steady. “You’re finishing your final year in the Academy, correct? And you’ll most likely join the forces once you’ve graduated, which means you’ll have to get used to dealing with difficult situations like this. Your brother was a good agent, and I’m sure that you will excel here as well, but orders must be obeyed. When they’re not, accidents happen, and the department cannot afford more _accidents_.”

“It wasn’t his fault!” shouted Roxas, unable to contain his fury. Xemnas just looked at him, and slowly, Roxas sank back to his chair. He stared at the floor, taking a few deep breaths. “It wasn’t his fault,” he repeated, voice wavering, “S-sir.”

Xemnas watched him for a few tense minutes, then stood, gracefully making his way around the desk to put a hand on Roxas’ shoulder. Roxas held back a flinch, but he recognized the silent command. He stood, allowing Xemnas to guide him towards the door.

“Get some rest, Lux,” he said, opening the door and giving Roxas a gentle nudge out the door. “Concentrate on completing your studies. I’ll be keeping my eye on your progress so I know when I can expect to see your application on my desk.”

Roxas looked at the outstretched hand, and, after a slight hesitation, took it. Xemnas’ grip was firm and lingering, startling Roxas to look up. The chief’s eyes were slightly narrowed, although he kept a civil smile on his face.

“Your brother was a good officer, but he trusted the wrong people, didn’t follow protocol, and those actions had consequences. I know that you understand the gravity of what happens when people withhold information,” Xemnas said, his voice cool. “We’ll keep you apprised of developments and continue the investigation on our end.” ‘ _So don’t do anything to make us arrest you’_  was the unspoken threat, and to his shame, Roxas did wince a little at the slight increase of pressure around his hand.

Xemnas finally relented and released his hand, and Roxas turned without saying goodbye or thanking the superintendent for his time. Probably not the best thing to do with the man who would most likely end up being his future boss, but Roxas was pretty sure that if he opened his mouth he’d say something that would make the situation worse, and if he didn’t tuck his hands in his pockets immediately he would definitely do something that would get him arrested.

He made a rapid exit out of the station, not bothering to check in on the other officers in Ven’s unit, the people who’d spent countless days and nights spending vigil the past few months by Ven’s door, keeping him safe from the dangers of the world.

Roxas could feel his breath begin to hitch, so he walked faster, pulling out his phone and rapidly dialing. “I’m at the station,” he said, interrupting the greeting on the other end, “can you come get me?”

\- - -

Axel was in the middle of a particularly intricate sketch when he got the call. The ringtone startled him-- hadn’t he put the damn thing on mute?-- and there was a distinct smear of ink across the page. He squinted at it, wondering if the thing could be salvaged, or if the smudge could be incorporated into the overall design, and decided that if he really was going to start learning how to do watercolor designs, he may as well get used to smudges. The phone jangled again and he sighed, setting down the sketchbook and pen, and clicking “pause” on the old tape player.

“Sorry Ven, this could be business, gotta take this call,” he apologized as the narrator’s voice abruptly stopped. He thumbed his phone on, unknown number. He frowned, but it could’ve been one of this clients, so he accepted the call.

“This is Axel--”

“You’re at the hospital, right? Is the guard outside the door?” interrupted an unfamiliar young woman’s voice. Axel stared at his phone, trying to place the voice. He didn’t recognize it, but she certainly acted as though she knew him. Knew him enough to know where he was, in fact.

“I’m sorry, but who am I speaking to?” he asked, the polite don’t-piss-off-a-potential-customer mode clicking into place.

“This is Namine. I’m a friend of Roxas and Ven. Is the guard outside of Ven’s room?” she asked again, unwilling to explain further.

He frowned-- he vaguely remembered Roxas talking about a Namine, but how she’d gotten his phone number, or why she wanted to know about the guards was a mystery. He walked a few paces towards the open door, then peered out to look into the hall. The tall officer guy with the not-quite-muttonchops sideburns had been there when he’d first arrived, but was now standing over by the nurse’s station, talking into the phone.

“He’s talking on the phone and looking like he’s been told to go suck a lemon,” Axel reported.

“They’re pulling security on the room,” she said over him, and he could hear her panting as she moved at a very rapid pace. “Roxas is a mess. He called me needing a ride, and I can’t get him so I called Demyx, and Demyx is working so he promised to keep an eye on things and gave me your number to call you so you can go pick Roxas up since you drove there. Roxas is at the police station.”

“Why is he--”

“We’ll explain later. I don’t want to leave Ven without anyone watching over him, and Demyx has clearance to be there after visiting hours.” She sighed, and he could hear a distinct click of a door opening, then the chatter of people and the rush of traffic filled the background. “I don’t think anyone will try anything immediately,” she said over the noise, “so he should be safe for now.”

“But who would--”

“I can’t pick up Roxas because I got a ride to school today and it will take me almost an hour to get home and then another 20 minutes to get to the station. You’re basically right there. Get him, and then meet me at my place. We’ve got to figure this out quietly, I think.”

“I… what?”

“Just… please go get Roxas, ok? We can talk more freely face to face at my place,” she paused. “This wasn’t how I wanted to meet you, but I guess I’ll find out if you’re as decent a person as Roxas says you are by how quickly you can get things done.”

She hung up before he could ask anymore questions, and he cursed, clicking off the phone. He turned to look at Ven, who lay with his face towards the old tape player, almost as though he’d fallen asleep during a bedtime story. Axel sighed.

“I hate to do this man, but I’ve gotta jet for a bit. I’m gonna talk things over with Demyx real quick, and I dunno how long I’ll be out, but you know you’re in good hands when Dem is on the case. I’ll see if I can make it back tonight, ok?”

He walked over to the bedside table, picking up the old cassette combo and checking to see how far into the tape they’d gotten. They’d started it only a little while ago, so there was still a ways to go, and the player was “new” enough to have an autoread function for the other side. So… three hours, maybe, before the next one would need to be popped in.

“To make it up to you, I’m gonna leave this playing, ok?” He held up the next tape, then placed it down on the table beside the player. “And I’m gonna tell Dem to come switch to the next tape when it runs out, so you can get a whole two chunks ahead of me. Don’t you dare spoil it for me, though-- I’m gonna catch up later, and I don’t want to know how the detective solves the case. You spoil _anything_ and I’ll bring in whatever vintage 80s crap tape I can find in the apartment and then you’ll be sorry.”

He clicked play and set the player down again, then grabbed Ven’s hand to give it a squeeze.

“Anyway, I’ve gotta go get your kid brother out of trouble, apparently. It must be a Lux thing.”

\- - -

Axel found Roxas glaring off into the distance, sitting on the steps of the police station and hugging his backpack in his lap. He didn’t even notice Axel pull up and idle at the curb, or look up when Axel called to him. Shutting down his bike and ignoring the curious stares of onlookers, Axel pulled off the second helmet and walked over to Roxas. He resisted the urge to check that none of the cops would take it into their heads that him parking it there for a minute meant it was a perfect ticketing opportunity.

Roxas didn’t even look up from his phone until Axel physically placed the helmet on his head, and it immediately sank over the blond’s eyes. Roxas pushed it back up and scowled up at him until recognition broke through whatever funk he’d gotten himself worked into.

“Axel? What--?”

“You know more than me at this point, pal. I’m just following orders.” He hooked a thumb over at his bike. “Your girlfriend called me and told me to come get you and then take you to her place.”

Roxas’ frown deepened, “Girlfriend…?” Then, his face cleared and he shook his head, pinching the bridge of his nose. “Namine is _not_ my girlfriend,” he grumbled, but he stood up all the same, sticking his phone back into his pocket and picking up his backpack. “Is Ven…?”

“He’s fine. I left him with an Agatha Christie murder mystery, Officer Sideburns is still there to hold down the fort, and Demyx promised to pop in, too, although honestly he’s more comic relief than any actual use. Anyway, I’m under orders, so get your helmet on and we’ll blow this joint.” Axel tapped his own helmet, trying to get Roxas to hurry up. Roxas shifted to put the bag back down on the ground, but Axel held out a hand to hold it as Roxas fiddled with the chin guard. The weight of it surprised Axel, and he grabbed the other strap to make sure he didn’t drop it.

“Jesus, how many books do you have in this thing?” he asked, handing it back to Roxas once the helmet was in place. Roxas shrugged the backpack on, then headed towards the motorcycle, ready to get as far away from the station as possible.

“It’s my computer,” he said, “and only one or two books, I think. Mostly it’s the computer.” He waited as Axel climbed back onto the (thankfully not ticketed)  motorcycle, then climbed up to slide into place behind him. Axel could feel the tension in Roxas as the kid grabbed onto his jacket, grip tight, and wondered-- not for the first time-- what the hell Repeat had gotten himself into.

Axel stuck the keys in the ignition and paused before turning it on. “You’re gonna have to guide me, I have no idea where I’m going.”

“Oh!” Roxas moved behind him, shifting the weight of the vehicle back and forth. After a few more seconds of wiggling, Axel heard a sigh of disgust. “You’re too tall, I can’t see over your shoulders.”

Axel let out a snort, reached back, and bodily shifted Roxas closer, expelling a yelp from his surprised passenger. “It’s easier to look _around_ my shoulder if you’re closer,” he explained. “Just get friendly and tap my arm when we need to make a turn.”

He really wished there was an easy way to see the kid’s expression; based on the reaction, Roxas was probably looking flustered, which might be fun to tease him about later. If nothing else, it jolted him out of whatever funk he’d been stewing in when Axel found him on the steps to the police station, so that in and of itself was worth it.

When Roxas didn’t say anything and didn’t move, he worried that maybe he had pushed too hard, weirded the kid out or something. But then he felt Roxas shift into a more comfortable position behind him, and Roxas’ hands returned to his waist with less of a death grip. Once he was sure that Roxas wouldn’t slip off and that he could, in fact, see the road to some extent, Axel turned over the ignition and they were off.

\- - -

Namine lived at the edge of the city, one of those neighborhoods built when there was still space to give everyone a plot of land and a standalone house. Yards were well maintained, fences white and unbroken, and the cars parked in the driveways were on the moderately expensive side. Axel could practically feel the inhabitants’ salaries going up as they got farther and farther from the heart of town. It was nice, definitely, but he felt a bit out of his element as Roxas tapped his arm and pointed to a large, gated driveway.

Axel whistled in appreciation as they pulled up, turning off the engine and trying to take in as much of the mansion as possible-- the damn house had turrets, for god’s sake! Whole families could probably live in different wings of the house and never meet. He’d never had to come to this part of town, never really wondered what was over here since it was out of the way and completely residential. If he _had_ come before, he definitely would’ve stuck out like a sore thumb.

He felt Roxas wriggle off the bike behind him, then lowered the kickstand and shut off the bike. “What the hell does your girlfriend _do?_ ” he asked, trying to fathom how someone Roxas’ age could _afford_ so much house.

“She’s living with her grandparents while she goes to school, and her grandfather is an official for the Academy,” Roxas replied, pulling off the helmet and shifting his backpack to a more comfortable position. He paused before he knocked on the door. “And she’s _not_ my girlfriend.”

Axel dismounted from the bike as the massive door swung open, revealing a pretty, petite blonde woman around Roxas’ age. She wore a short white dress and a chocolate spattered apron, and she smiled when she recognized Roxas. She stepped out of the house and enveloped Roxas in a tight hug, then her gaze shifted to Axel.

Roxas stepped back as she released him, then turned to gesture at Axel.

“Namine, this is Axel. Axel, Namine.”

“Not his girlfriend,” she echoed-- apparently she’d heard Roxas through the door. She held out her hand and Axel took it with a smirk, seeing the flush back on Roxas’ face.

“So I keep being told,” he laughed. He flashed her a grin. “Did I make it here in _decent_ time?”

She caught the inflection and smiled. “You’ve made a good first impression,” she said, leading them down the hall. Her smile faltered, her voice becoming more serious, “but we have a lot to talk about tonight, and you know how they say actions speak louder than words…”

They ended up in an entertainment room filled with a massive overstuffed couch and a large screen TV that filled half the wall. Roxas and Namine gravitated towards one end of the couch, probably their usual spots, so Axel waited until they were more or less settled before sitting down. Namine cleared her throat, pulled out a notepad, then gestured for Roxas to begin.

Roxas told them about his visit to the station and the reception he’d gotten there, complete with what he thought were veiled threats from the police chief himself. How Ven’s safety was hanging on a few scribbled signatures on a page, an official rubber stamp, and then he’d be vulnerable to anyone who happened to walk into the ward while the nurses were busy.

“I can handle pretty much every day during the summer, but what about when classes start up and I have to go in to finish things?” he said. “I can’t keep asking people to spend their free time watching over Ven. They have their own lives, and having people visit hasn’t done any good.”

Namine shook her head, taking hold of Roxas’ hand. “First off, you know that your friends will do anything they can for you. We can take shifts-- I can talk to Hayner, Pence, and Olette tomorrow, you know they would be happy to help however they can. And you know I’ll do what I can. It doesn’t have to be a permanent thing, but we can do it for now, until we find something more long term.”

She held up a second finger. “Next, you don’t know that it hasn’t helped-- didn’t Dr. Gainsborough say he’s been doing better lately? It’s probably because he hears you and everyone else talking, and he’s fighting hard to come back to us. We just have to be patient, and believe in him, and be there for him when he needs us.”

She held up a third finger. “Lastly, there are things we can do to get help from more powerful places. We can write to the governor to ask for assistance. We can try to find legal counsel to advise you in what actions you can take to protect him-- we’ll need to figure out a way to prove that he’s in danger, but a lawyer might know how to stop paperwork from progressing down the paper trail. Isn’t there a group who deals with workforce injuries?”

Roxas sighed, slouching back into the couch. “They disappeared when forensic analysis came in and proved that Ven deliberately drove the car into the warehouse. Besides, he was off duty, investigating something without a warrant or letting his superiors know. The whole thing is a legal nightmare.”

“We’ll figure it out,” Namine promised, patting his hand. “For now, let’s be productive and use the rest of the time we know he’s being protected to plan out our next steps. I’ll talk to our friends and see if we can get a watch roster started. You start drafting letters and calling up representatives.” She turned to Axel, who was frowning at Roxas. She paused,  “Axel?”

“How did you know?” Axel asked, and Roxas snapped his head up to look at him. “How did you know that protective duty was being pulled?” he asked, leaning forward. “Your story starts at the station, but how did you know that you needed to go there?”

Roxas stayed silent, and Namine frowned, lifting her hand to Roxas’ shoulder. He frowned at the coffee table, fingers fidgeting with his phone. “I got an anonymous tip,” he said at last. He looked between the two of them, then shook his head. “It’s someone deep in the system. If they’re discovered, they could get in trouble.”

“You’re talking with mole?” Axel asked, frown deepening. “You’re trusting someone you don’t know with this information?”

“It’s not like that,” Roxas argued, straightening up as he saw Axel’s frown. He turned to Namine, whose expression looked more concerned than disapproving.

“Roxas, how do you know they’re telling the truth?” she asked. “They might be telling you things to trick you into lowering your guard.”

“What happens to your brother if you’re arrested on charges as an accomplice to a breach in confidentiality or something?” Axel chimed in. “How can you help Ven when you’re stuck behind bars?”

“It’s nothing illegal!” protested Roxas. “I just get tips, sometimes, things like updates to the case and what leads they’re looking into. They don’t tell me what to do, they just let me know if anything new turns up. You know I can’t trust Pete to tell me anything.”

“Pete?” Axel asked, and Namine sighed, slouching back into the couch.

“Officer Pete, he’s in charge of the investigation into the accident,” she explained, and Roxas scoffed.

“And he’s an _idiot_ ,” he growled. “He’s one of the least careful officers on the force-- Ven told me about cases where he’d messed up the evidence and the bad guys got away because of mistrials. He’s not even returning my calls anymore, and when I do see him, he talks to me like I’m a kid.”

“They can’t tell you everything that’s going on in an investigation,” Axel said, “because they don’t want information getting out that could jeopardize the case.” When Roxas didn’t answer, Axel turned to Namine, who looked away and refused to meet his eye. Axel looked between them, trying to guess what was going through their minds. He gave up. “Ok, what are you not telling me?”

“There have been… inconsistencies in what’s been reported to the press and what’s actually gone in the report,” Namine admitted, looking down as she tapped her pencil on the notepad in front of her.

“Some of the tips I’ve gotten were photos of notes from the case files, clips from video surveillance, stuff like that,” Roxas admitted, reaching into his bag and pulling out his computer. He turned it on and began typing, reaching into his bag again to dig around while he continued to type with his other hand. He pulled out a USB stick, plugged it into the PC, typed in a password, then turned it around to show Axel.

Axel squinted at the screen, using the touchpad to flick through a gallery of file snapshots, video stills, and what looked like medical reports. There were hundreds of files, all in different sizes and formats, dating as far back as a few days after the accident.

“And your source just gave you all of this? Shit,” Axel said, stopping on what looked like a transcript of an interview. He skimmed the text, realizing that the document had caught his attention because it mentioned one of the nurses who worked in Demyx’s ward. The nurse in question was talking about how Ven had been delivered to the hospital-- by none other than Captain Aqua, one of the missing agents who was reportedly missing and the press’ number one suspect in trying to off Ven.

“Shit,” he repeated under his breath. The next page of the report included a blurry photo of a tall woman carrying Ven in her arms, just outside of the emergency doors.

“So, I signed a code of conduct thing as part of my school program, but since this isn’t technically school related…” Roxas trailed off. Axel snapped his gaze away from the report, and now even Namine looked angry.

“Oh Roxas, tell me you didn’t,” she said, and Roxas shrugged as took his computer back, shutting it down and removing the USB stick.

“I just went through doors that were left unlocked,” Roxas admitted. “I don’t like being lied to. And when I’m being told one thing but can clearly see evidence that contradicts it, I have to wonder _why_ , and then I start to wonder what else they’ve been hiding.”

“Roxas, you could get into serious trouble for this,” warned Namine, although she reached out to hold his hand in hers. “I’m talking beyond expulsion, or even getting arrested.”

Roxas put his computer back into his bag, and forced a smile. “It doesn’t matter,” he said. “Ven is gonna wake up soon, and he’ll be able to confirm all the stuff in the files. I don’t care what the official documents say, there’s more to the accident than my brother and two agents going rogue and blowing up a building. I can feel it. I can’t let Ven be blamed for something like this-- why would he do it? It makes no sense. I’ve gotta be sure. I’ve gotta know what he was thinking.”

A loud alarm began to blast in the other room, startling them all from their thoughts. Namine jumped up, brushing off her apron.

“I forgot the brownies!” she said, hurrying into the kitchen to deal with them. Roxas didn’t seem like he wanted to say more at the moment, so Axel followed her out, walking down the hall and into a kitchen that could comfortably fit his entire apartment with some extra room to spare.

Namine was in the middle of extracting a large casserole dish that smelled absolutely heavenly, the rich chocolately scent filling the room. She set the dish down on the counter, frowning at her handiwork. Apparently she hadn’t quite expected Roxas’ little revelation either. Axel pulled out one of the stools across the island from her and sat down, keeping his voice low.

“Can I ask you something?”

“You can always ask,” replied Namine, giving him a level look over the cooling dish, “but I’m not going to answer anything Roxas wouldn’t want me to say.”

“Fair enough,“ he replied, and gestured back towards the den. “Let’s table the whole ‘I’ve been hacking into police files to get to the bottom of things’ element to this for a minute. I get the whole protectiveness thing, honest, but flipping out about the security detail, setting up this whole ‘Operation: Watch Ven’ thing, isn’t it a bit much?”

Namine tilted her head, biting her lip as she thought about the best way to answer. She didn’t look like she was going to refuse, but she was definitely feeling her way through her response.

“Roxas has always been very passionate when it comes to his work,” she said at last. “If he’s interested in something, he puts his all into it, you know? And Ven was the same way-- Roxas probably picked it up from him, actually.”

She frowned, looking off in the direction of her friend. “A few months before the accident, Roxas said that Ven seemed upset about something at work. He wouldn’t say what it was, and he told Roxas it was fine, he’d figured it out, but… then he started working a lot of overtime, leaving Roxas on his own more often than not. I came over to stay with him a lot during that semester.”

“‘And then, the day before the accident, Roxas and I got back early from class, and Ven was there with Captain Aqua and Officer Terra. They’d been in some sort of huge fight, and Ven refused to say anything after they left. Then he left in the middle of the night, and…” she trailed off, and newspaper article titles came unbidden to Axel’s head.

  _Warehouse Fire Critically Injures Academy Officer; Two Missing_

_Trio in Trouble: Academy Officers Linked to Massive Property Destruction_

_The More We Find, Less We Know; Police Chief Stumped, Wants Answers_

_LIGHTS OUT: Off Duty Officer Causes District Blackout With Vehicle_

_Dirty Water? Report Suggests Aqua and Terra Connected to Criminal Ring_

There were other, more unflattering titles that came to mind, too, everything from insinuations that Ven had killed the two missing officers and burned the warehouse to cover it up, to Ven being on the take and working as a firebug, and getting caught in the act by two patrolling officers. There were some facts that everyone agreed on, however: All evidence pointed towards Ven intentionally driving the academy cruiser into the warehouse stocked with a significant amount of unstable, highly-flammable materials.

Namine sighed, looking up at Axel. “What didn’t make it into the news was that while officers were swarming to the scene to figure out what happened, someone broke into Ven’s office and removed all of his equipment. The video was tampered with, but...the police think it was either Captain Aqua or Officer Terra. They were the only ones unaccounted for, and they’d been out on patrol in that area. And when the other officers came to see if he’d left anything at home, there was nothing. All of his high-end equipment was gone. They only an old and broken laptop that wouldn’t boot.”

“Pete did tell us that much, at least, but the information flow more or less shut down a few days after Ven had been admitted into the hospital,” she continued, waving a paper plate over the brownies to help them cool down faster. “So, I know Roxas’ reaction seems a bit extreme-- and trust me, I’m _not_ happy to hear that he’s been hacking into stuff and relying on some anonymous tipster-- but the whole situation has been strange from the start, so even the craziest conspiracies seem like they could have some credibility.”

“So… Roxas thinks that the two agents are gonna come finish Ven off? Some sort of revenge or vendetta thing?” Axel asked, not really sure how to process all of that. Namine shook her head, biting her lip.

“Terra was the one who called Roxas and told him to go to the hospital. When we got there, Aqua had already disappeared, and Ven was in surgery. The fact that neither of them reported in afterwards and basically went AWOL makes them look suspicious though. And Xemnas held Roxas for almost 3 days, trying to see if he knew what Ven had been up to.”

She sighed, shaking her head. “But Roxas didn’t know-- he wanted to figure it out as much as anyone, but there were no leads, nothing to go on. No one knows why the three of them went to that warehouse, or why there were so many unlisted goods. No one knows why Ven drove the car at full speed into the building. He jumped out at the last minute-- almost too late. He got caught in the blast and was thrown against one of the nearby buildings, cracking his skull. Doctor Gainsborough says it was a miracle that he survived-- and that he only made it because Captain Aqua got him to the hospital so quickly. Roxas told Xemnas that, but she’s still their number one suspect, since she was the highest ranking officer involved.”

Axel frowned, trying to imagine this Ven who would keep secrets from his little brother, who would leave in the middle of the night to go drive a car into a building. The Ven he’d known was tenacious, yes; foolhardy? Maybe. But he loved his younger siblings, Axel could remember that much. Shutting Roxas out didn’t seem like the Ven he remembered at all. But then, people do change, don’t they?

He pinched the bridge of his nose, trying to sort everything out. Three months ago, he thought Ven and his siblings were living up life in the islands, never to return to the city. Two months ago, he found out his old best friend was in a coma and his little brother didn’t trust anyone, even people who had the best intentions and offered to feed him. Which brought him to now….

“So how do you know that you can trust me?” he asked, reaching over to steal a chunk of brownie as she started removing them from the tray. “I mean, I just appeared out of nowhere, did everything I could to get into Ven’s room, and I’ve been trying to get Roxas to like me. I could be one of the bad guys, trying to insinuate myself and wait for the right moment to strike.”

“You could be,” she admitted, holding out the plate so he could take another piece. “But Zexion cleared you, and Demyx sings your praises as being one of his best friends. He’s not the most serious of people, but he has a good judge of character. Dr. Gainsborough said it was good to have another familiar voice in the room, and I wasn’t lying when I said you made a good first impression. More importantly, though, Roxas trusts you. That in and of itself is enough for me.”

She smiled, and Axel noticed that even though she offered him the plate of brownies with one hand, the other was still holding the large knife she’d used to cut them out.

“That said, this is the point of our conversation where I tell you that if you do _anything_ to betray my best friend’s trust or happiness, I will end you.” Axel flinched at the steel in her voice, and waited a good minute before he followed her back towards the den.

\- - -

Roxas slouched on the couch as Namine and Axel left the room, the heavy sense of dread coming back to sit in his stomach now that he’d had a chance to start thinking about how they were going to keep his brother safe from all of the crap that seemed to be swirling around the whole situation.

There was another option, of course, one that he’d been thinking about on the ride over here, one that he sure as hell wouldn’t openly admit to, but Ven always said he’d been good at getting into places where he shouldn’t, and it wasn’t like it would the the _first_ time he’d glimpsed into the Academy’s records. Granted, the police branch probably had more protections in place than the academic side, but if the underlying architecture was the same, and with a few of the access codes he’d been slipped….

Roxas felt the buzz in his pocket, the pocket that by all rights shouldn’t be buzzing anymore, and he pulled out the burner phone, which apparently hadn’t been burned quite yet. The message itself was brief:

 **Msg from Unknown (7:30 pm):** Thank S; paperwork delayed/accidentally forwarded to top chief’s office. Expect official delay in removal

 **Msg from Unknown (7:30 pm):** Working on long-term plan, keep you posted

 **Msg from Unknown (7:32 pm):** GET RID OF PHONE

He breathed a sigh of relief, melting back into the couch. Safe, at least for a while. If Ven woke up before then, if he could set the record straight about what had happened, maybe then he could get the Chief and the rest of the Academy officers to take him seriously and keep the protective detail going.

“Dude, did you like, downgrade your phone or something?” Axel asked, and Roxas yelped, slipping the phone back into his pocket. He tried to laugh it off, scratching the back of his head.

“It’s stupid, but you know those old digital pet games?” he lied, feeling the phone burn against his leg. “I found the phone while cleaning last weekend and started playing it again. I’d forgotten how stupidly addicting they were, and they’re good for getting your mind off stuff, you know?”

“Jeeze, that takes me back, yeah,” said Axel, stretching out to prop his feet up on the table and rest his arms along the line of the couch. “I never managed to evolve them, though. I didn’t play enough of the minigames to earn enough points.”

“I need a topic for my senior thesis anyway, maybe I should write one,” Roxas suggested, trying to imagine Professor Leon’s face when Roxas handed him a phone with an app for feeding paopu fruit to rainbow colored monsters.

“You’d probably make a shit ton of money if you could get it to work,” Axel agreed, sipping from his drink. “Just fill it to the brim with microtransactions and watch the munny just build up in the bank account.”

“Server maintenance is a pain in the butt, though,” Roxas sighed, settling back into the couch. “And somehow I don’t think my professor is the game-playing type.”

“Who doesn’t play games?” asked Namine as she set the tray of brownies down on the table.

“Squall-- um, Professor Leon," Roxas explained, reaching over to grab one of the blocks of chocolatey goodness. “He’d probably blow a fuse if I handed in a game as my senior thesis.”

“Unless you actually wrote malware and released it under the guise as a patch to a game,” suggested Namine, nudging him towards the middle of the couch so she could sit more comfortably. He shifted positions, bumping into Axel as the redhead snagged another brownie off the plate.

“Honestly, he would probably like that, especially after he showed it to the dean to get me expelled. I’m sort of on his shit-list right now,” he paused, mulling it over. “It _would_ be a pretty fun way to get expelled though.”

“Do you really want to have to explain to your brother how you got expelled and/or arrested when he wakes up?” Axel asked, stretching out his arms over the back of the couch. Roxas frowned, imaging Ven with a world-weary scowl that would out-grump anything Professor Leon could produce.

“Ven doesn’t approve of using our hacking powers, even for good,” he admitted, reaching forward to grab another brownie. “But whatever they were looking into, they tripped some sort of alarm and it almost killed him. If he’d done some digging beforehand, maybe he would’ve been more prepared for what he was facing.” He shoveled the rest of the brownie into his mouth, then reached for another.

“I’m not going to make the same mistake,” he said around a mouthful of chocolate. He swallowed, pausing to speak before he took another bite. “When Ven wakes up, I’m going to make sure that I have some answers.”


	5. Signs For All to See

When you told people you were an artist, or if they caught you drawing in public, there were three things that almost always happened: First, they asked to see what you were drawing because, second, they wanted you to draw something for them (for free, of course), and third, they wanted to know if you had drawn that, and if it was anime.

Granted, the last thing hadn’t ever happened to Axel, but he’d always wondered if that was a thing that actually happened or if it was just some weird internet meme turned artistic urban legend. No, his encounters usually went along the lines of someone seeing him drawing, that person thinking he was drawing them, and then, after confirming that he was not, in fact, drawing them, they imagined that since he was staring off into space, he was memorizing each and every detail of the scene so that he could recall the sensory details for use in later illustrations.

Axel didn’t have the heart to tell them he usually stared off into space because he was listening to a particularly good song and wasn’t actually working.

In his defense, he wasn’t (generally speaking) completely oblivious. He was pretty quick to pick up on visual cues like body language and lighting. Stuff that translated well into illustration and composition, those things, Axel could handle. But he wasn’t really interested in photorealism -- that’s what cameras were for, after all -- so he’d never really honed his ability to focus on his surroundings, instead turning that artistic eye inwards.

Because when you got into the groove of a project, whether it was on paper, canvas, or skin, there was some sort of switch that just flipped-- his vision narrowed until the art was everything. There was no background noise, no others in the room, nothing beyond making sure that he kept his hand moving as quickly as possible so he could trace the lines as he visualized them before they disappeared. It would take something really big, really distracting to throw him out of the flow once he was in it.

Axel knew this about himself. He knew how he worked, and how to schedule in minor breaks for food or pit stops or whatever. He’d been at the composition for almost four hours now-- a luxury afforded by an extra day off-- and most of the rough linework was in place and ready for inking and paints. Of course, inking would require stretching out his stuff on a flat surface to avoid spillage, and the desk that was currently occupied by all of Roxas’ school notes and sleeping computer.

Axel squinted at the area, trying to remember if Roxas had mentioned something about where he was going before he’d left the room. He vaguely remembered a mention of lunch, and he was getting to the point he’d planned to be his meal break, so Roxas was probably out on a food run. Or was it that he going out to lunch with someone, and that he’d be back later?

Axel realized that he probably should’ve paid more attention, even if he was in the zone, because if Roxas was coming back with food, he could nibble on some of those petrified cheese crackers he kept on-hand for just such emergencies. Still, if Roxas came back and had already eaten, the crackers would hold him until he had a chance to go out and grab some actual food, too. He sighed, lowering the sketchbook and trying to think back to what _precisely_ Roxas had said. He was pretty sure Roxas was coming back with food… pretty sure.

He’d spent almost a minute staring off into the space in front of him, which happened to be Ven lying in the bed. When his eyes finally refocused, he jumped out of the seat and yelped “ _Holy shit!”_

Ven stared back, eyes half-lidded and unfocused, but he was most definitely awake.

Axel untangled himself from the drawing pad, fighting with the pencils that rolled off the paper and clattered to the floor. Ven didn’t seem all that phased by the flurry of cursing that flew from Axel’s lips; the heart monitor beeps remained a steady, gentle reminder that the patient in the bed was still unwell. _But awake_!

“Ven? Dude, Ven, can you hear me? Are you feeling ok? Shit, where the hell is Roxas-- one sec man, I’ll be right back, just hang tight. Don’t fall asleep again, ok?”

Axel scrambled over the chair and skidded to the door, yanking it open. A nonplussed Zexion ignored the sudden movement, typing away at his computer and studiously not looking up at Axel’s grand appearance.

“Did Detective Poirot solve the case again?” he asked, not bothering to look up from the report he was typing.

“Ven’s awake! Where’s Roxas? Where’s the doctor?”

This did get a response. Zexion’s fingers paused and his eyes widened. Then, he closed the computer with an abrupt click, quickly following Axel back into the room. Ven still lay there, more or less unmoving, but he’d tilted his head a little to track their movement, even if his eyes didn’t quite land on them.

Zexion stared down at his colleague, then pointed out into the hallway, directing Axel out of the room. “Call Roxas, then find the doctor, let them know what’s going on. Aerith will be on call, so if she’s not here get the desk to phone her.” He pulled out his phone, muttering “I need to let the chain of command know,” under his breath.

Zexion then leaned over and pressed the call button for the nurse, and Axel left, wondering if the nurse on hand would be able to track down the appropriate medical people while he tried to get ahold of Roxas. Then he walked over towards the door, keeping an eye on Ven as Zexion leaned over to talk in low, gentle tones. Axel’s phone rang four times before Roxas finally picked up.

“Hey, I’m still waiting on the food--”

“Get them to deliver it,” Axel interrupted. “You need to get back here _now_.”

 

An hour later, Ven had more visitors crammed into the room than he’d had in all of the previous months combined. Roxas had made it back and now sat by his brother’s side, holding his hand. Doctor Gainsborough monitored the various machines, taking Ven’s vitals and reading off numbers to the nurse who busily scribbled down the results and made adjustments to the settings as directed.

They’d removed the breathing and feeding tubes, and propped him up to a more elevated sitting position, although he still leaned heavily into the pillows, and the shift in position had clearly worn him out. Ven stared off into space, glassy eyed, unable to focus on the officers standing in front of him.

Officer Pete was there, asking questions and getting no response whatsoever. Zexion stood behind him, quiet, although Ven shifted his eyes to look at him every so often, seeming to ignore Pete’s questions, or losing focus on the room at large. And then there was Xigbar, hanging back in the shadows, bristling with agitation, muttering under his breath about arresting irresponsible cops.

Dr. Gainsborough flat out refused to leave during the interrogation, stating that she had to remain for medical observation, and Roxas insisted that he stay as well, pulling the next-of-kin and guardian card. Axel had been ushered out for privacy purposes, but Roxas could dimly hear him in the hall, talking to someone on the phone. He’d asked Axel to give Namine a call, and he’d already left a message for Xion to let her know what was going on. As Pete seemed to settle in for a long questioning session, Roxas sat in the seat beside Ven, holding his hand and watching his older brother’s face for any sort of response.

“What’s the last thing you remember?” Pete asked, and Ven stared off into the room, his breathing slow and steady, almost as though he was ready to fall asleep again. Pete sighed, trying again. “Do you remember how you got injured?”

Ven blinked at him, but it seemed like an attentive blink, or at least as attentive as he had been the entire time he’d been awake. Pete grumbled something under his breath, flipped through his case file, then held up a picture of the burned out warehouse, the shell of the car Ven had been driving prominent in the frame. “Do you remember anything about the warehouse district?”

Ven’s eyes slid over Pete’s shoulder to Zexion, then over Xigbar before seeming to fixate on some distant point in the back of the room. Pete rolled his chair back into Ven’s view, and decided to try a different tactic. His accent grew more pronounced as his frustration mounted.

“Do ya know where you are?” Ven blinked again, his eyes shifting back to Pete, a more languid movement that left his eyes half-hooded and his mouth slightly open. Still, he remained mute, looking pale and fragile against the pillows. Pete sighed, then tried again, pointing at Roxas. “Do ya recognize him?”

If Roxas hadn’t been holding his hand, he wouldn’t have felt the slight spasm of Ven’s fingers at the question. Ven forced his eyes open a little further, dragging his gaze to meet with Roxas’, focusing for a few seconds to return his little brother’s earnest stare. Ven moved his lips, and everyone held their breath, leaning forward to hear his response.

“Ahkkssis” hissed Ven, which, given the fact that he’d not used his voice in almost four months was a feat in and of itself. Still, the consensus seemed to be that it was arguably recognizable as the latter part of “Roxas,” which in and of itself implied that Ven’s memory-- at least part of it-- was still intact, and that he could remember enough to recognize his brother on sight. Roxas squeezed his hand in encouragement, beaming at Ven, who, worn out by the effort, had closed his eyes again.

“...I guess we can go with that,” said Pete, jotting down something in his notebook. “What happened to your partners?”

This was met with silence, and Roxas could feel Ven’s muscles slacken, fingers uncurling from Roxas’ hold. Roxas tried giving his hand another squeeze, and when that got no response, he turned to Aerith.

“I think he fell asleep, is that bad? Does that mean he’s gonna go comatose again?”

She walked over and gently lifted an eyelid, then tucked two fingers against his neck to take his pulse. After a few moments of tense silence and further inspection, she smiled at Roxas, patting his arm.

“Don’t worry, he’s just sleeping,” she said, and Roxas let out the breath he hadn’t realized he’d been holding. “I know it doesn’t seem like much right now, but he was awake for almost an hour, and that’s a big deal. He just wore himself out, so he’ll need to rest for a bit. He still might sleep for long periods of time, but that’s not unusual-- he needs to recover his strength, and sleep will help.”

Pete let out an angry “What?” He jabbed his pencil in the direction of Ven while he glared at Aerith. “We ain’t done yet! Can’t you give him something to wake him back up? I got questions that need answerin’!”

Aerith narrowed her eyes ever so slightly, and Pete took a step back.

“No.” She turned to Roxas and gave his shoulder a gentle squeeze. “We’ll keep an eye on him and let you know when he wakes up again, but when patients have been unconscious this long, it can be a gradual process. In the meantime, I’ll speak to the staff to authorize visitation outside of regular hours again, but based on his responses and condition, he probably won’t wake up again tonight. He needs his rest, so it might be best if you head out for a bit, go get some fresh air. I’ll be here all evening, so we can catch up when you come back tonight.”

She then looked up again, ignoring Pete and speaking directly to Xigbar instead. “As I mentioned on the phone, just because he’s regaining consciousness does not mean that Ven is in any condition for interrogation. As his physician, I must recommend that you do not attempt further questioning until we have determined the full extent of his injuries. I will personally be in touch when he is stable enough for such a task.”

Xigbar pushed off the wall and left without a word, pulling out his phone, no doubt dialing Xemnas with an update. Pete’s head swung back and forth, torn between following the superior officer out and trying to get more answers out of a now-sleeping Ven. After a few more frantic head swivels, he shook his notepad in Ven and Roxas’ direction.

“This ain’t over yet!” he hollered, then he made a hasty retreat into the hall. Aerith bid Roxas farewell and headed out to speak with the nurses, leaving Roxas to turn back to the bed, watching Ven’s gentle breathing. He’d completely forgotten Zexion, who waited until the door had closed again before coming to join him by the bed.

“Thank Namine,” he said, pulling a sheet of paper out from his sleeves and handing it over. It was some sort of official document, or at least, a photocopy of one, complete with a seal and fancy signature scrawled across the bottom. Roxas skimmed the letter, then looked up at the quiet man watching his brother in the bed.

“I don’t understand, what is this…?” he asked, and Zexion gave him a brief, small smile.

“Think of it as a stay of execution,” he suggested. “The papers for the protection detail landed on her grandfather’s desk, and Namine explained the situation. He’s decided to review the case personally.” He nodded at the sleeping Ven. “And given the new development, it is likely the motion to extend protection will be granted, at least until we have more answers. So, thank Namine,” he repeated.

With that, he turned and went out the door, passing Axel as he made his way back into the room. Axel slipped his phone back into his pocket with one hand, the other holding a heavily laden bag-- apparently lunch had arrived while the police had been in. In all the excitement, Roxas had completely forgotten, but his stomach gurgled at the sight. Axel smiled, dropping the bag on the desk and coming over to stand by Roxas and Ven. He held up a finger.

“Ok, so, one--Namine said she’ll meet us back at your place and then we can all head over to the bar together later.” Another finger went up. “And two-- I dunno who that pirate guy is, but he looked pissed, he’s practically spitting sparks at that other guy. And three-- I know I’m not supposed to ask because ongoing police investigation and everything, but...how did he seem?”

Roxas waited a few minutes before answering, watching his brother for any sign of waking up again. Ven did look like he was sleeping-- actual sleep, though, a slightly more relaxed, more mobile version of himself than when he was in a coma. Probably because all of the tubes and things were gone. Maybe he could finally start getting some real rest, and wake up soon. He’d be there-- Ven had remembered him, so he _had_ to be there for him.

“In answer to your questions and in opposite order,” he said at last, holding up three fingers of his own. “Ven remembered me, so that’s a good sign, but he’s gotta build up his strength before they can ask him anything.” He lowered a finger. “That was Xigbar-- definitely not a pirate and he’ll probably arrest you for, like, verbal assault or something if you said that to his face-- and he is always angry, so don’t mess with him because he’s a colossal dick and second in command at the station so he probably _could_ get you arrested for something stupid.” Another finger fell. “And I don’t know about tonight, I don’t want to--”

Axel clicked his tongue, interrupting Roxas mid-excuse, and started picking up his forgotten art supplies. “Yeah, see, here’s the thing-- you’re coming tonight, doctor’s orders. I talked to Aerith in the hall, and she said you were gonna try to weasel your way out of it so you could stay with Ven some more. She also said that she already told you he won’t wake up again tonight, so you’d be sitting here alone in the quiet when you could be out with friends getting premature hearing loss from loud music.”

Axel leaned back, slinging the bag over his shoulder. He attempted a scowl. “Also, if you don’t show up, Dem will be majorly bummed, but he’s too nice a guy to say anything to you about it so he’ll just lie around the apartment and brood for days after the fact, which means I’ll have to deal with all of his sulky angst, which means I won’t get _any_ work done, which means I’ll miss deadlines and shit. Don’t be _that guy_ . Do you _really_ want to be the one who makes Dem sad?”

He walked over to the table, picking up the takeout bag again. He looked inside, frown deepening. “Annnnnnd lunch is cold, so we’re gonna need to go someplace anyway to heat it up. _And_ it looks like they forgot to give us chopsticks. I’m not using my fingers to eat my noodles and soup, and the cafeteria’s silverware is crap. So, we’re heading out, your place or mine, and then we’ll head to the show.”

Axel closed Roxas’ laptop, stuffed it in the backpack, and then physically walked it over to dump it in Roxas’ lap when he saw that the blond still hadn’t moved. He kept his voice light, though, and ruffled Roxas’ hair before he bent down to retrieve a stray pencil from under Ven’s bed.

“Look, Ven needs his beauty rest, and he’s not gonna get that with you hanging over his bed. Go home. Pack an overnight bag. If I promise to bring you -- and your bag -- back here after the show, will you come? Do it for Ven, if you won’t do it for Dem or me.”

Roxas sighed, looking at Ven. He knew Axel was right, and honestly he _had_ been looking forward to seeing the show and getting to meet some of the other, ah, eclectic people Demyx and Axel hung out with. He might even know some of them, since they probably went to school with Ven for a time. And Aerith had said she’d get him longer visitation hours….

“I… maybe. Yeah. I mean, let’s just go eat lunch and wait for Namine, we can figure it out then.” He smiled down at the paper still clutched in his hand. “I have a lot to talk to her about.”

“We’ll call the ward before we leave, just in case, ok?” Axel suggested. He walked over to the desk, paused, then picked up something, He chucked it towards Roxas. “And don’t forget your fossil phone.”

Roxas barely managed to catch the thing, having to lunge forward to keep it from the floor. It was his old burner phone-- or an exact model, because he knew for a _fact_ that there was no way the old phone would ever work again since he’d used a hammer to smash the internal components to dust.

That meant that his contact had sent the phone, which meant they were still speaking to him. Maybe something new had come up? He hoped the shock didn’t register on his face as he slid it into a pocket. That had been pretty quick, it usually took a week or two to get a replacement. When had they managed to sneak it into the room?

He walked over to Ven again, taking up his brother’s hand and giving it a squeeze as he leaned in for a hug.

“I’ll be back tonight, ok?” he promised. He straightened, straightening his backpack. “Get some rest, and I’ll be back to catch you up on everything.”

“I’ll keep him outta trouble, Ven, no worries!” laughed Axel, slinging an arm around Roxas’ shoulder and guiding him out the door. “C’mon, dude, I’m starving.”

\- - -

Unfortunately, it was almost an hour before they finally got to eat. What with the police delaying them at the hospital, and then traffic on their way back to Roxas’ place, by the time they’d finally managed to park, the food had congealed into heavy bricks of noodles, rice, and meats.

Axel grumbled about it as they made their way up the stairs towards Roxas’ apartment. “I mean, do they _really_ need to shut down an entire street to build a park? Really? Just blow up the stupid concrete and plant some trees, then you can call it a day.”

“I don’t think that’s how it works,” replied Roxas, slipping the key in the lock and giving it a good turn. “It’s just one of Governor Xehanort’s city works projects. He wants to make Radiant Gardens nicer, like.. with actual gardens and stuff.”

“Then he should finish one damn project before he starts a new one,” grumbled Axel, veteran of city traffic and none too happy about it. “Remember that stupid bridge project that somehow ran out of money after they’d finished the initial planning phases? I know a dude who does construction, he says there are projects like that all over the city. Who the hell voted him in, anyway? I sure as hell didn’t choose him.”

“He’s won so many times he’s practically an institution, I think people just vote for him by default at this point,” Roxas laughed, pushing the door open and shucking off his bag. He took the takeout from Axel, heading towards the kitchen. “I think he started in government around the time my parents died, so it’s been at least 10 years in office of some sort. No one’s been able to get rid of him since.”

Axel stopped halfway into the living room, and put a hand over his heart, and dramatically collapsed onto the couch. He shot a wounded look at Roxas as he came out carrying two bottles of soda, the microwave whirring in the background.

“Dude, you had a party and you didn’t invite me?” Roxas frowned, tilting his head and looking around the room, trying to see what Axel was talking about.

“N-no?” he replied, sitting down on the couch and handing the soda to Axel as he finally came over to sit down. Axel took the bottle and used it to point around the room.

Roxas followed the direction he was pointing in, but all he saw was an old glass with a mostly-finished bottle of soda next to it. Then, he pointed at the stack of DVDs that had been left helter-skelter by the TV, and the slightly opened drawer of AV cables sticking out. Axel also pointed towards the bookshelf and his (admittedly large) collection of ice cream sticks, and finally at a sweatshirt on the floor, which must’ve fallen out of his laundry basket when he’d folded things earlier that morning.

“Your place is a mess and you’re telling me you didn’t have a party? Tch,” Axel sighed, opening up his bottle and taking a long pull. Roxas stared at him, trying to figure out what he was talking about, and it wasn’t until he saw the grin that he realized Axel was _teasing_ him. He flushed, embarrassed, and threw a pillow at him.

“Sh-Shut up!” he choked out. “So I like to keep the place clean, it’s not that much dirtier than the last time you stopped by. And besides, for all you know I only clean the place once a month.”

Axel laughed around the pillow in his face. “Nah, you have stuff laying around, but the room smells like lemons and there’s no dust anywhere. Your cleaning standards are so high you’d give our health inspector a run for his money.” He lowered the pillow, using it as a prop as he leaned back into the couch, arms tucked behind his head. “I’m serious, it’s good to see some dirty dishes and clothes lying around. Makes the place look lived in. I am a bit alarmed at the number of ice cream sticks you have, though.”

“That’s your fault!” complained Roxas. “I didn’t know there was an ice cream parlor three blocks from school. And they’re not _all_ mine, I took some friends there and now they bring me their sticks when they’re done.”

“Saving up for one of the prizes, huh?” asked Axel, grinning at the idea of Roxas stopping for ice cream every day after class. “Which one were you thinking of-- wait, don’t tell me. The tiki tissue box, right? Always a classic. It’d fit in great with your decor.”

“Says the guy with hearts all over his walls,” Roxas retorted, thinking of all Axel’s paintings and drawings scattered throughout the apartment. He actually liked the way Axel and Demyx’s apartment looked, it was relaxed, artistic, very… _them_. Still, the tiki tissue box would probably be more Sora’s style. The microwave dinged and he got up to grab plates and utensils, Axel trailing after to give him a hand.

“Hey, those hearts put bread on the table and beer in the fridge. I just give the customers what they want.” Axel grinned and wiggled his eyebrows up and down. “Besides, I think it adds to my charm--I’m clearly just a _lovable guy._ ”

“Augh, no, you’re awful,” Roxas moaned, although the effect was probably ruined by the smile he couldn’t quite keep from his face. He handed Axel a plate and told him to dig in, then they headed back to the couch to finally sit down to some greasy takeout Chinese food.

Roxas kicked off his shoes and rested his feet on the coffee table, leaning back into the couch to stare up at the ceiling. He couldn’t stop replaying the morning’s events over in his head, Ven waking up, Ven actually _remembering_ Roxas, and saying his name. He’d need to grab some clean clothes, toiletries, maybe some snacks to prepare an overnight bag, but he was damned if he would miss Ven waking up again.

“Do you really think Demyx will be that upset if I skip tonight?” he asked, trying not to imagine Demyx with a kicked puppy expression. He didn’t want to disappoint the guy, really, but he couldn’t _not_ be there for Ven. Demyx would surely understand that-- didn’t he live for happy reunion stories in his ward? Didn’t he spend hours on the internet reading sappy stories about kittens and puppies finding furever homes? He’d totally understand Roxas wanting to be there.

Axel gave him a stern look that would have been more effective if he wasn’t in the middle of slurping down noodles. He vacuumed them in and swallowed, then pointed his chopsticks at Roxas.

“Nah, he won’t be upset because you’re _not_ gonna skip out on it,” chided Axel. “You heard what the doc said, Ven probably won’t be awake again tonight and Demyx has been talking all week about tonight. The other bands are pretty decent too, so it should be a good lineup. Luxord’s got the bar all decked out and Larxene wants to grill you on ...well, I honestly have no idea what she wants to talk to you about. Just don’t go into any back rooms with her, don’t turn your back on her, don’t let her buy you a drink, and you should be fine. You can meet Marley, too, if you manage to stay awake through his set.”

Roxas wasn’t really sure how to respond to that, so he took the opportunity to shovel in another mouthful of rice instead.

They took their time finishing lunch, somehow ending up with Axel going into a long, passionate rant against digital tattoos-- “ _They’re not even real tattoos, you have, like, a computer screen embedded in your arm and then you download clipart. I mean, what the hell?”_ \-- when the phone rang. They jumped in unison and reached for their phones, momentarily forgotten in the lull of the moment.

Roxas woke up his phone and winced-- three missed calls from Xion, plus a text message telling him to ‘ _call me already, dammit_ .’ Axel stood up, holding up a hand in apology as he answered the call-- apparently he _hadn’t_ turned his alarms on mute.

Roxas gestured for him to stay, then pointed to his own phone and then towards his room. Axel gave him a thumbs up as he talked to his caller, who, from the sound of the panicked voice bleeding through the speaker, was talking a mile a minute. Axel pinched the bridge of his nose and sat back down with a wince, mentally preparing himself for what sounded like it would be a rough conversation.

Roxas slipped into his room and closed the door, effectively cutting off the low responses of Axel in the living room, giving him as much privacy as possible. He pulled up Xion’s name and dialed, hoping she wouldn’t lay into him too badly.

She didn’t even bother with hello, the crackle of the static in the phone hissing with each angry syllable. “ _Only you would do something like text me with ‘Ven’s Awake!’ and then not answer your stupid phone for three hours,”_ she snapped, and the phone let out an angry pop of electric noise before her voice came through again. _“Don’t think that sending it with a smilely emoji let’s you off the hook.”_

“I honestly didn’t mean to ignore you,” Roxas apologized, and he leaned against his headboard, propping up his pillows to get more comfortable. “Just with everything that happened, I forgot to unmute my phone.”

He heard her irritated huff through the slight crackle of static, but when she spoke up again, her voice wasn’t quite so cutting.

“ _Then you’d better make it up to me by getting me up to speed. What’s happened? Are you with him now?”_

Roxas then proceeded to tell her everything that had happened-- such as it was. As he walked her through the interrogation, he realized that despite the whole thing feeling like it had taken hours, it probably hadn’t been very long in the grand scheme of things, and very little had actually taken place. Still, by the end of his description, she seemed just as excited as him.

“ _That’s great! Do you think he’d be up for more company? Should I schedule a flight in sometime this week? I should be able to swing it, I’m sure the program coordinator would be ok with me slipping out for a few days-- it’s not like the shellfish are going anywhere.”_

His gaze shifted over to the calendar, pulling up two pages to look for the large red circle around her previously scheduled visit.

“If you think you can squeeze in another visit between now and your other trip, that would be awesome. You know I’m happy to see you whenever you can make it, and Ven’ll be happy, too,” he said, letting the pages drop. “It might be better if you come earlier anyway-- as soon as you bring Sora into the equation, things might get too loud too quick and Ven won’t _want_ to see anyone.”

She giggled, the static cutting through her connection again. “ _He’s getting better!”_ she protested. “ _Well, he’s better when Kairi and Riku keep him in check. Don’t forget, they’re coming too. Are you sure there’s gonna be enough room for all of us in the apartment?”_

He laughed, thinking about trying to squeeze the four of them-- plus his local friends-- into the two-bedroom apartment. “I mean, we could make it work, we’ve got the room. But if you can’t squeeze in here, Namine can sleep, like, twenty people in her place-- her grandparents renovated the entire basement for her as an in-law suite, and she’s got this massive couch. And we’ll be over there most of the time anyway, since she has the most room and she more or less told me that she wanted to host and organize things or I would regret it.” He smiled. A lot could happen in a month and a half-- maybe Ven would be well enough to help them celebrate their birthday, too, in some capacity.

There was a knock at the door, and then Axel popped his head in. “Hey, I’ve got an emergency patch-up job that I’ve gotta take, so I’m gonna have to run over to work for a couple of hours, then go straight to Demyx’s thing from there. I’ll catch you later tonight, right?”

“Y-yeah, I’ll see you tonight! Looking forward to it!” Roxas agreed, then flushed, realizing he’d more or less committed himself to going and sounded like an idiot in the process. Still, that seemed to please Axel. He grinned, gave Roxas a thumbs up, then headed out as Xion’s voice brought Roxas’ attention back to their conversation.

“ _Did my ears just deceive me or did my big brother just successfully score a hot date tonight?”_ she asked, and he felt his ears burn.

“What is it with people assuming that if you plan to meet up with someone later it’s a date?” he complained, scrubbing a hand over his face. “It’s not like that. I’m seeing Demyx’s band tonight, remember? I told you about it ages ago. And I’m going with a bunch of people, it’s not a date.”

“ _And you’ll see them tonight, which you are looking forward to_ ,” she teased, then laughed at Roxas’ irritated growl.

“It’s not like that,” he repeated, and she mercifully dropped the subject, spending the rest of their conversation catching him up to date with all of the adventures going on in the Islands. After securing his promise to let her know if she should come visit before her planned birthday trip, and in turn promising to send him birthday ideas for her, she ended the call to get ready for bed.

Roxas plugged his phone back in to charge before digging out his _other_ phone to see if there were any messages. Nothing. He frowned, plugging that phone in as well. The old number wouldn’t work anymore, so he’d just have to trust that they’d be in touch if there was anything pressing that they needed to discuss. Which led him to his _other_ side project…

He booted his PC and typed in his credentials of choice to access the admin account of the school. Really, if Leonhart didn’t want him accessing the system, he should’ve come up with a better password than “Gunb!ade@VI!I.” Anyone who knew him knew of his weird obsession with the obscure and useless weapons. The man was a professor in charge of teaching cyber security, for god’s sake! Shouldn’t he know how to come up with a decent password?

Apparently there wasn’t much to report in on the educational side of things. There were summer staff meetings, some bulletins about upcoming events, and mandatory refresher courses on the new security systems (hah). Nothing really out of the ordinary. No wonder Leonhart was so pissy all the time; being a teacher was _boring_.

What _wasn’t_ boring was using his professor’s credentials to see how far into the _other_ part of the system he could go before he started hitting walls. Nothing major, and so far as he could tell he wasn’t setting off any flags, but his innocuous searches had him going through student files, and when he just so _happened_ upon his own, he was surprised to see a police file linked to his profile.

He felt a cold sweat break out over his skin, wondering if they’d actually been onto him the whole time and _knew_ that he’d been using Squall’s login access to go where no student should go. The rational part of his brain told him that it made sense that there’d be a police report on him-- there’d been an official statement when his parents had died, and he’d had to answer questions about Ven for his security clearance. He’d had to go through a screening to get into the Academy itself, a review carried out by a board of professors and police officers alike, so _of course_ there’d be a file.

The other part of his brain-- still rational, of course-- wondered why it was that the other student profiles he’d skimmed did _not_ have a file, even though they’d all have gone through the same rigorous vetting he’d been through when he applied. He looked at the icon, debating whether or not to click on it. Would Leonhart have permissions to access the information? Granted, it was on the student profile page, but the folder had only appeared after he’d used some clumsy backdoors to get there. And given that it was an unusual folder to be linked to a profile, it was more likely to be boobytrapped. Still….

The clunk of his front door shutting closed made him jump, and he heard Namine’s excited voice in the other room. He hastily backed out of what he was doing and shut the computer down, heading out to greet her. She dropped her purse by the door and sprinted over to give him a tight squeeze.

“Tell me everything!” she demanded, and so Roxas repeated the events of the day, including his conversation with Xion and her possible upcoming visit before her birthday trip. By the time he’d finished, Namine was out of her seat and pushing him towards his room. “This is exciting news! And no, we’re not letting you ditch the show tonight, but you should definitely go get your overnight bag ready. We’ll call the ward before we head out, and then you are giving your phone to me so you don’t spend the night fretting like a hen over the messages you’re not getting.”

He did as instructed, and when they headed out, the early evening rays of sunlight had begun casting long shadows along the sidewalk. Neither of them had ever really been to this part of town, and without Axel to guide them, they had to rely on their phones’ navigation systems, which more or less got them going in the right direction. Still, Roxas was glad they’d given themselves plenty of time, and felt an inordinate amount of relief when the bright neon sign for _Luxord’s_ came into view.

A tall blonde man stood smoking outside of the door, apparently manning the small podium set outside of the bar entrance. He watched them without much interest, although Roxas could feel the man’s eyes tracking them down the street. He pushed off the wall as they approached, effectively barring their way.

“You got ID?” he asked, crossing his arms and glaring down his nose at them. Roxas felt his stomach twist-- hadn’t Axel said something about having to have someone with them to get in?-- but the man’s question didn’t even phase Namine. She reached into her purse, showed the man her ID, handed him money for the ticket, then held out her hand for a stamp.

The man turned to Roxas, waiting, and he hastily dug around in his pocket for money and ID in exchange for his own stamp. When they were properly stamped as too young to drink, the man lost interest in them and went back to leaning against the wall, apparently intent on savoring the last of his cigarette while he guarded the door.

Namine bounced up the stairs, pulling Roxas along behind her, and they walked into an open room, already filled with patrons milling about, laughing, drinking, and catching up while they waited for the band to start. Roxas squinted into the crowd, trying to see if he recognized anyone, but it was difficult to tell with the low lighting and loud music pumping in over their heads. He scanned the small stage where the band was setting up their instruments, but Demyx wasn’t among them, or maybe he was in the back getting ready.

Then again, was Demyx’s band playing first? Neither Axel nor Demyx had mentioned _when_ the band was playing, and from the signs tacked to the wall alongside the bar, it looked like there might be two or three other performers tonight, so those instruments getting plugged in and tested on stage might not even belong to Demyx’s group. Not for the first time that night, Roxas wished Axel hadn’t been called away to work, and he shifted his position so he could watch the door.

In the meantime, Namine seemed to have no such concerns. She walked up to the bar, ordered something, then came back with two drinks, handing one to Roxas. She nudged him over to the side of the room, casting her eye over the assembled patrons.

“Looks like it’ll be a good turnout!” she yelled over the noise, nodding her head to the music. “I’m glad for Demyx, he’ll be happy.”

“Where do you think he is?” Roxas shouted back, standing on tiptoes to try to look over the thickening crowd.

She shrugged, but her response was interrupted by the squeal of a mic as a tech turned it on, starting up sound checks and lighting on the stage. This seemed to prompt the crowd to action; as the noise from the mic’s feedback died down, the patrons began to press closer into the room around the stage, the volume of excited chatter picking up as more tentative chords and refrains briefly filled the air.

To his surprise, it wasn’t Demyx who first appeared, but the scary blonde woman from the tattoo parlor. Larxene stalked onto stage, pulling the mic off the stand and glaring into the audience. Roxas gulped, feeling her eyes on him as she surveyed the crowd-- was it his paranoia and imagination, or did it seem like she actually smiled when she spotted him, and a smile that involved a lot of teeth? He shuffled further back into the crowd, just in case, and cast another worried look in the direction of the door. Hopefully Axel would get there to deflect her interest before she finished playing and managed to find him.

Another strike of chords on the guitar, and Larxene started her set, the crowd swaying in time with the song. Roxas turned back to look at the stage, caught between his desire to stay out of Larxene’s sight and the surprising pull of the music.

He expected the song to be harsh, the grating sneer of her usual voice not one he would think easy to listen to. When the heavy bass and electric guitars started, he braced for some sort of song where she screamed at the audience for the night.

But when she sang, her voice _was_ harsh, but in a raspy alto that mellowed out as it blended with the energy of the melody. Roxas followed the call of the music, walking closer to the stage, Namine dancing by his side. By the end of the first song, they’d gotten halfway up to the stage and Roxas had all but forgotten the intimidating first impression she’d made.

Someone bumped into him, breaking the spell, and he apologized automatically, turning to see who he’d knocked into. Apparently, _he_ hadn’t knocked into anyone--Axel stood beside him, pulling off his jacket and running his long fingers through his hair to fluff his spikes back to their usual height. He grinned when he saw Roxas’ surprise, then turned to the stage and whistled, drawing Larxene’s attention. This time, she scowled and launched into a louder, more aggressive song while glaring at Axel; no doubt she had some choice words for him after the show.

They played about five more songs before their set was done, and the crowd cheered as the band stepped down to pack away their equipment. Roxas turned to Axel and Namine, ears ringing from the explosive finale, heightened by the energy buzzing through the room. Namine leaned in to shout over the chatter of the patrons as they waited for the next group to set up.

“Thanks for inviting us!” she yelled at Axel, who raised his bottle to clink with hers. He turned to Roxas, holding out his bottle again, but another hand intervened, stealing it mid-clink. Larxene chugged the last of the beer, then pressed the empty bottle back into Axel’s hand.

“ _That’s_ for getting here late,” she growled over the thump of the music. She turned her attention to Roxas, the smile back in place. “Short Stack,” she laughed, then turned her attention to Namine, eyebrow raised. “Short Stack’s girlfriend?”

“Namine! Best friend, not girlfriend,” Namine corrected. A smirk pulled at Larxene’s lips, and she turned on Roxas once again. He tried not to flinch from that intense stare.

“Enjoy the show?” she asked, and her smile showed teeth. Roxas let out a nervous laugh, but answered honestly enough.

“Yeah!” He left it at that-- the crowd was getting more restless as the next band began setting up, and it would be hard enough to talk over the noise. She seemed satisfied with that, though, and turned her attention back to Axel.

“So where the hell were you?” she shouted.

“Tidus!” he replied, and apparently that meant something to her, since she threw her head back and cackled.

“Tell me you got ‘before’ pictures!”

“I didn’t--but he did. Finished piece will be going in the portfolio for sure.”

Further conversation was impossible; the lights flickered, switching to a blue set as the musicians on stage started strumming out a low, pulsing bass line. The crowd cheered, apparently already familiar with this song, so they were prepared when the lights changed to a blinding yellow and Demyx leapt onto the stage with an explosive guitar solo. He jumped up and down on the stage, shouting unintelligible lyrics, but the audience cheered and shouted along, waving hands in the air and jumping to the beat.

Axel nudged Roxas again, raising his hands and miming that Roxas should do the same. Roxas did so with slight hesitation, but Namine bumped into him on the other side, already dancing to the music. Roxas looked up to the stage, and Demyx was still enthusiastically leaping back and forth in time with the music, clearly having the time of his life. Roxas gave up, raising his hands and swaying back and forth with the song.

By the end of the first song, Roxas’ arms had the familiar beginnings of overused muscles’ ache, usually only achieved from a vigorous fencing match. People around him panted, worn out by the vigorous dancing, but Demyx was still going at it hard, bouncing on the stage. He yanked the mic out of the stand and waved to the crowd as he paced between songs.

“Everyone having a good time?” he shouted, to which the crowd cheered. He beamed, wiping away sweat with the back of his hand, then grabbed one of the bottles of water handed to him. He chugged it back, gasped in air, then yelled into the crowd, “Everyone ready for the next song??” to which there was an enthusiastic _“Hell Yes!”_ and Demyx started jumping on the stage again. Just straight-up bouncing on the toes of his feet, guitar clutched to his chest, head rocking out in time with the chords.

He did have to stop bouncing as soon as the chorus started so he could sing, but the energy shifted into a roll of his hips, a peppy sway that had the room mimicking his movements. Namine nodded her head along with the music, and Roxas tapped his feet in time with the beat, but he looked over to see Axel matching Demyx’s moves in time with the music, his hips rolling in liquid movement to the beat of the song. Axel caught him looking, winked, and closed his eyes, losing himself in the music again.

Roxas looked away and took the opportunity to take a long drink, his throat suddenly dry.

The music played on, Roxas trying to focus on the beat, amazed by Demyx’ apparently bottomless font of energy, Namine catching the chorus of the songs and singing along on one side, Axel with his distracting dancing on the other. By the end of the band’s set, the crowd had trebled in size. The final song echoed into a cheering room, the melancholic chords and lyrics hanging in the room, reminding everyone that the summer was coming to a close.

As the rest of the band began breaking down the instruments and the crowd roared Demyx’s name, he leapt from the stage, making his way towards their little group. He crashed in between them, slinging his arms around Axel and Roxas and pulling them in for half a hug.

“Was that not the best? Dude, there were so many people dancing and stuff, did you guys have a good time? Did you dance? I saw you dance,” he laughed at Axel, who grinned and pulled him off, putting his mostly untouched second drink in Demyx’ hand.

“Yeah, good show man, congrats! You know I can’t resist a good beat,” laughed Axel. He turned to Roxas and Namine, who raised their own bottles in salut.

“You were great!” laughed Namine, giving Demyx a hug and clinking bottles with him. “Do you have any albums or anything? I bet Olette would really dig your stuff.”

Namine continued to chat with Demyx and Larxene as Axel pulled Roxas over to the bar to collect new drinks. As they waited, Axel leaned against the bar, looking out into the crowd.

“I’d bring Ven some of Dem’s recordings, but I dunno if that would be good for him-- maybe once he’s recovered a bit more, has more strength. You just wanna get up and jump around when you hear it, you know?”

Roxas laughed, trying to imagine Ven sitting still in the bed while listening to Demyx’s music. “Yeah, maybe wait a bit before that. He’d probably like Larxene’s stuff, too-- and you said your boss is playing tonight, too?”

“Marley will be on in a little bit,” Axel agreed, taking the two bottles from the bartender and handing one to Roxas. “His stuff is pretty mellow compared to the other two-- we could probably play some of that for Ven, he might like something a bit more soothing. I’m running out of audiobooks, anyway.”

“Why cassettes?” Roxas asked, perhaps a bit non sequitor but realizing that he’d never actually asked and just sort of accepted it as one of Axel’s weird quirks. Axel shrugged, sipping his beer.

“They’re super cheap to the point of free, they’re easy enough to store, and they don’t suck up phone memory,” he explained. “And our library is outdated and still carries them, so you can find weird shit if you take the time to look through the stacks. Besides, you can’t go wrong with Agatha Christie.”

“No offense, but… it’s sort of the same book over and over again,” Roxas said, and when Axel laughed, tapping his head.

“Yeah, but that’s _why_ they’re great,” he said, leaning against the bar again. “You can concentrate on something else while they’re running in the background and tune in without actually having missed anything important.”

“Or perhaps it’s just because you’re unobservant when it comes to your surroundings,” said a cool voice, and Axel stood up straight, smile brightening his face.

“Saix! Dude, you made it! Didn’t think you would.” Axel fist-bumped Saix, then threw an arm around him, gesturing to Roxas with his beer. “This is Roxas. Roxas, this is Saix, an old buddy from school. How’ve you been, man?”

Saix extracted himself from under Axel’s arm and held out a hand to Roxas. “Hey,” he said, not quite as enthusiastic as Axel, but polite enough. He shrugged at Axel’s question. “Working, same as always.”

“Saix is foreman on some of the projects around the city,” Axel said, then pulled a frown. “Speaking of, when the hell are you gonna be done with the park, man? My commute sucks.”

“Yes, and I am personally responsible for the traffic in your area. Send a complaint to City Hall,” Saix said with a shrug. “I’m just a paper pusher.” He looked at Roxas, froze, then lowered his bottle from his lips, squinting a little. “Have we met before?”

Roxas frowned, shaking his head, and the next band started tuning on stage, which saved him from trying to figure out where they might’ve met. In all likelihood, Saix might’ve met Ven, since Ven had had to deal with ‘paper pushers’ all the time. And hadn’t had much good to say about them, nor they him, if he remembered correctly. Yeah, it was probably best to ignore the question and deflect any other--

“C’mon Roxas, we won’t see anything from over here,” chided Axel, grabbing his arm and dragging him closer to the stage. Namine raised an eyebrow at Roxas, a strange smile on her face, but he had no chance to question her, as ‘Marley’ stepped onto the stage and belted out a long, lingering note, drowning out the cellos and guitars behind him.

The crowd, still buzzing from the energetic beats of Demyx’s music, fell into a different kind of trance, the bass and cello reverberating around the room as the pink-haired man continued to sing in plaintive, drawn out notes. Roxas had no idea who had planned the lineup, but the angry power behind Larxene’s songs and the bouncing notes of Demyx’s music had primed the crowd well, drawing them into an almost hypnotic hum in time with the music as Marley strode across the stage, entreating the crowd to listen as he sang his laments to the world.

He held them enthralled for one song, then another, then another, each song seeming to blend into the next. It wasn’t until the final song when Demyx and Larxene appeared as backup singers to Marley’s wavering melody that Roxas snapped back to attention, so taken by the music that he hadn’t even noticed them slip away. The audience seemed similarly taken aback, reawakening as Demyx encouraged them to sing the final chorus with them. A few power chords, several bouncing jams on the guitar, and a particularly smug smile from Larxene later, the trio ended their song with flourishing bows.

The crowd roared, Roxas right along with them, the lingering swell of the music pounding in his heart. Namine jumped up and down beside him, clapping enthusiastically as the musicians took another bow. Axel let out another whistle, yelling something unintelligible at the groups, clapping as they took one last bow, then turned to break down the rest of the equipment on the stage. He turned to them, then, and held up his empty bottle.

“Gonna get a refill-- you guys thirsty?”

“Roxas is!” giggled Namine, and Roxas felt his cheeks flush, not appreciating Namine’s tone, his fingers tightening around his (admittedly empty) bottle. Axel didn’t seem to notice anything, promising to be right back, and he made his way into the throng of people surging towards the bar.

Roxas turned to Namine with a frown. She held a finger up against his lips, stalling any irritated questioning.

“Just ask him out already!” she laughed, maybe a little louder than he’d have liked, but the room was still filled with the cheerful conversations of the crowd, and it didn’t appear that anyone else had heard or cared. Still, he looked around the room in a panic, worried that someone might’ve overheard, and shook his head, not looking her in the eye.

“W-what? I-I--I don’t--! Um. No. No, I don’t think so.”

“Why not? In all the time I’ve known you, I’ve never seen you act so adorably awkward in front of anyone before.” She grinned, leaning in. “And he seems into you-- just go for it, what would it hurt?”

“It’s not-- I don’t….,” he sighed, staring down the neck of his empty bottle. “You’re reading too much into it. I’m just grateful for all that he’s done-- he’s just being friendly, tolerating an old friend’s little brother. And he’s been good for Ven-- I’m sure the afternoons he’s spent there have helped Ven wake up faster. He’s doing it to be _nice_ \-- he’s not interested, and I’m not interested in anything that would mess stuff up. It’s good how it is now.”

“If you say so,” she replied, although her tone _clearly_ indicated that she thought otherwise.

“Anyway, helping Ven get better is still my number one priority,” he said. Namine stamped her foot and smacked him in the arm, harder than he thought the situation warranted.

“Don’t use Ven as your shield in this! If he could, Ven would be the first to tell you to go for it-- he’d be angry to hear that you’re letting an opportunity at happiness slip away and using him to hide from everything.” She sighed, crossing her arms. “Just… think about it, won’t you?”

“...I guess,” he said, knowing that he would indeed think about it, but wouldn’t act upon it-- if there even _had_ been something to act upon, that was. There was too much at stake, both with his growing friendship with Axel, Ven’s long road to recovery, school starting up again in a month or so, and all of the other stuff in between.

He could be happy just being Axel’s friend--Axel, who’d shown up out of nowhere and broken through all the crap he was going through to brighten the day in his own, blunt way. Who’d made him go for ice cream, and given him hope that things could be ok again. For seeing him as _Roxas_ , not Repeat, and not being disappointed when he found out that he wasn’t like Ven at all.

Yes, Roxas could be happy being Axel’s friend-- because being Axel’s friend _made_ him happy.

The man in question took that moment to emerge from the crowd, three bottles of soda clutched in one hand, the other dragging Demyx in tow. The singer seemed a bit worse for wear-- no doubt all of the bouncing on stage had taken its toll, but Roxas suspected it had more to do with the half-emptied vodka bucket the blond clutched to his chest. How Demyx had managed to drink that much between getting off the stage and walking towards their group was a mystery; Roxas only hoped it hadn’t been completely full when the singer had taken possession of it.

Demyx grinned, staggering to a stop in front of them and taking a long slurp from his bucket as Axel handed Namine and Roxas a bottle. He kept one for himself, grinning when he saw Roxas’ questioning look.

“ _Someone_ has to be sober enough to drive the car back,” he explained. He clunked his bottle against Roxas, Namine, and Demyx’s drinks before taking a sip. “To good music and drunken divas!”

Demyx blew bubbles in his drink, talking around his straw, although he took a sip before he whined, “You said you didn’t mind!”

“Chill, I’m not complaining,” laughed Axel. He popped open a tiny umbrella and stuck it behind Demyx’s ear. “Drink up, you earned it. Just remember that if you barf it’s your car and I’m not cleaning it up.”

“I won’t,” promised Demyx, setting into his bucket once again. As he spoke, Roxas felt rather than heard Larxene’s approach, and he tried not to jump as she materialized beside him, sipping from something fruity and smelling thickly of alcohol.

“Having a good time?” she asked, only slightly slurring her words as she leaned into the group. She braced herself against Axel, pawing at his shirt. “In payment for your truancy I demand pictures.”

Axel brushed aside her searching hands, flushing as they slid down towards his pants pockets. “Fine, fine!” he said, pulling out his phone before she could go digging for it again. “I only have one ‘before’ image, and I’m only showing you as a matter of professional courtesy.” He looked up at Roxas and Namine, holding up a hand to explain.

“So _normally_ I don’t show off botched jobs because of client confidentiality, but Tidus is a friend. A friend who didn’t get any advice from his artistic friends before getting inked, and a friend who didn’t come to his professional tattoo artist friends because he wanted to do it himself. And a friend who posted his finished product all over social media before he really thought things through.”

He flicked through his phone, then passed it to Larxene first, who gave an undignified snort of laughter but didn’t seem that surprised by the image. Roxas peered over her arm, Namine on her other side, and he took a look at… well. Hm.

The picture was of a man’s well-defined upper chest and shoulder, the skin tanned and freckled from hours in the sun. Roxas was no expert, but even he could tell that the linework was rough, too thick in some areas and too thin in others. The design seemed to be a sword of some sort, stuck in a line which was probably supposed to represent sand and squiggles of dune grass. Beneath the sword was what looked like a blitzball, nestled against the blade. The blade’s hilt has some sort of ribbon or tassel decorated with bubbles or some sort of round orbs and baubles. Innocuous subject matter, perhaps, but with the slight tilt of the sword, coupled with the placement of the blitzball and the poorly rendered sand and grass….

“Is that a hairy penis?” hiccuped Demyx, peering over the top of the phone and chasing his straw with his tongue. Larxene full out cackled while Namine coughed behind her hand, covering up a laugh. Axel retrieved his phone and chuckled, flicking through his photos.

“Poor guy didn’t even realize what it looked like ‘til his girlfriend asked him if his teammates put him up to a dare. Dude’s been walking around with a dick on his shoulder for two weeks and he didn’t even realize it. He called me in tears this afternoon. Fortunately, I’m a genius,” he preened, holding out the phone again.

Roxas let out an involuntary “wow!” as he looked at the repair job Axel had managed. While the shaky lines were still there and visible if you looked, Axel had embellished the design, adding swirls of surf and sand, the waves curling around the sword. The blitzball was now tucked into the whorls of water, the sword hardening as the lines were widened and straightened. A ribbon unfurled from the hilt, wrapping behind the waves and opening beneath the illustration. Familiar lettering spelled out _Zanarkand Abes_.

“This is… wow. Axel, this is _amazing_ ,” Roxas said, admiring the delicate work. He looked up, catching Axel’s pleased expression. “You did this in two hours?”

Axel waved off the compliment, but his face flushed a bit under the praise. “It’s not totally done. I got the linework in and we’re gonna sit down and talk colors in a week or two while he heals up. I’m also making him promise that if he ever tries anything like this again I can personally throttle him.”

“It looks _awesome_ ,” Roxas repeated, flicking through the images to investigate some of the detail work. Then, something clicked and his head snapped up once again. “Wait, Tidus? _Tidus_ from the _Zanarkand Abes_? The professional blitzball player-turned-model?”

“Sometimes they really are just a pretty face. Fortunately, Yuna has enough brains for both of them,” sighed a mellow voice, and Roxas turned to see Marluxia peering over his shoulder, examining the work. He looked over to Axel, who’d straightened a bit as the ‘Bossman’ surveyed his photos. “He’s right, though, Axel. This is excellent work. Well done.”

“He was happy and he didn’t flinch at my emergency repair rates, so it all worked out in the end,” agreed Axel. “Plus he thought that some of his teammates might want matching art, so I sent him home with a dozen cards and told him to give us a ring.”

Marluxia hummed, taking the phone from Roxas and giving the work a closer look. “Let me know when he comes back-- if we can work out a deal with Ansem, we may be able to agree to some sort of feature in one of his upcoming catalogues, instead of having them cover it up with makeup and digital editing. It would be a pity to hide all of that effort.” He chuckled, handing back the phone. “He will probably be grateful that you were able to fix things before their next shoot-- we may even get a thank you card.”

“Hah, maybe,” agreed Axel, slipping the phone back into his pocket and drinking from his bottle again.

Roxas looked around the group, chatting and drinking amiably about celebrities they’d met in passing, who was scheduled for an upcoming session, and when their next show was going to be. Maybe it was the music, the lights, or the alcoholic fumes rolling off the group, but the whole night seemed a surreal blur amidst minor celebrities. He stood among them, trying to take it all in, but it was starting to be too much, especially when his Friday nights usually entailed sitting at home in front of his computer, reading or playing games. With the emotional highs of the day and the lengthy duration of dancing (or, if he was being honest, synchronized jumping to Demyx’s peppy beats), or just the fact that it was pushing midnight, a yawn escaped, despite his best efforts to hold it in.

A hand clamped down on his shoulder. “Shit, I completely forgot that you needed to get back, sorry!” Axel apologized, downing the rest of his drink and setting the bottle on a nearby table. He turned to the rest of the group, holding out a hand to pull a very drunken Demyx to his side. “Annnnd you’re getting cut off, man. Larxene, what the hell was in that bucket?”

She snorted, elbowing Marluxia. “What _wasn’t_ in it is more the question.” She took Demyx away from Axel, and the singer sort of melted against her with another whine. The tall blond man from the front door appeared on his other side, laughing as he propped Demyx up. He handed the singer another paper umbrella, which Demyx took with a laugh and tucked behind his other ear.

“No worries, mate, he can bunk upstairs with us tonight,” the man -- _Luxord_ \-- suggested. “He usually does anyway.”

“Maybe if you cut him off before he finishes a rum bucket on his own…” sighed Axel, then shrugged. “Fine, I’ll swing by tomorrow to collect him and his stuff. Namine, you wanna ride with us?”

“Just walk me to my car!” she chirped, setting down her own bottle and collecting her coat. “I’m heading in the opposite direction, so if you can take Roxas to the hospital, that would be great!” She stepped forward and gave Demyx a gentle hug and a kiss on the forehead, then shook hands with Larxene and Marluxia. Luxord swept up her hand to bow over it, and probably would have brushed his lips against had Axel not pushed him away.

“Way too young for you, man,” he warned, then gave a pointed look at Larxene and Marluxia. “Make sure he behaves, yeah? And don’t let Demyx stay up too late, he has to sleep it off so he can work on Sunday.”

“I’ll be fine!” laughed Demyx, though he leaned heavily into his supports. Larxene giggled, but pointed a finger at Roxas.

“We’ll talk later, Short Stack, don’t think I forgot! I have _questions_ ,” she said, and Roxas took a step back, not sure if that was a threat or a promise. He waved, said something to thank them for the show, then hurried out of the bar, Namine and Axel following behind.  

When they got to her car, Namine gave him a tight hug and whispered in his ear, “ _think about what I said,”_ before pulling away and turning to give Axel a quick hug, too. “Thanks for a great night! I’ll catch you guys later.” They waited until she’d pulled away and made it down the street before heading off to where Axel had parked his bike. He rummaged around in the storage compartment before producing a second helmet.

“See? I didn’t forget. Safety first!” he said, handing the helmet to Roxas.

“Thanks,” he managed, still thinking about what Namine had said, damn her. Fortunately, Axel hadn’t heard, or wasn’t nosy enough to pry, but Roxas would certainly be trying to figure out why everyone seemed to be convinced that he was interested in Axel. Maybe he could ask Ven-- but then, that would probably be weird, and they had a lot to catch up on before he asked his brother about stuff like that, and--

“You ok? You’ve got this weird look on your face.” Axel interrupted his thoughts, and he jammed the helmet onto his head, quickly securing it.

“Yeah! Sorry. Trying to remember if I packed toothpaste,” he lied, knowing very well that he had, in fact, packed everything he might need for at least a 3-day stint at the hospital, toothpaste included. Axel seemed to buy it, though, and anyway over the roar of the engine they didn’t have much of a chance for conversation. They made a quick stop for Roxas to run to the apartment and grab his stuff (and Roxas held up the toothpaste when Axel asked), then they slipped through the quiet streets, for once not running into much traffic as they made their way through the city.

The motorcycle purred to a stop, then shut down as Axel parked illegally by the main doors. Roxas slid off from behind Axel, pulling off the helmet as Axel fussed with the cargo hold, extracting Roxas’ overnight bag. They exchanged items, and there was a brief pause. Roxas shifted the bag on his shoulder and smiled.

“Thanks for dragging me out tonight, I had a lot of fun,” he admitted. Axel grinned, tucking the extra helmet back into the hold.

“Knew you would. They play a couple times a month-- not a full set like tonight, but songs here and there. You should come again,” he said, getting back on the bike. He turned on the bike, then paused to give Roxas a wink. “Anyway, you know who to call if you ever want a good time. Catch ya later!” He laughed at Roxas’ choked stutter, then saluted Roxas before revving up the motorcycle again and heading home for the night.

Roxas stood outside for several minutes before heading in-- he was _not_ going to explain why he was beet red to whoever was on guard duty tonight. He trusted the officers with his life, yes-- but his love life (or lack, thereof) was a completely different matter.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you're looking for songs to set the mood for the three singers, these are what I had in mind:  
> Larxene: [ "The Clash At Demonhead - Brie Larson Version" (Black Sheep by Metric) ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pQ91nArSjOg)  
> Demyx: ["Don't Stop Me Now" by QUEEN ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KKny_ia8Fvo) OR ["Mr. Brightside" by The Killers](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gGdGFtwCNBE)  
> Marley: ["Lune" sung by Bruno Pelletier ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vI8yzy0pDv8)  
> Trio: ["Good Times" by All Time Low](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P-WVPWZq1VU)
> 
> "Good Times" in particular... the first time I heard it, my immediate thought was "oh, wow, ATL is a fan of AkuRoku and Kingdom Hearts too, so they wrote a song about Twilight Town" followed immediately by "ow, my heart." So naturally I've had it on repeat while I worked on this fic.
> 
>  [I've also got a sketch of Tidus' before-and-after tattoo. ](http://bit.ly/2krLEf9)


	6. The Killers in High Places

If there was one thing worse than waiting for someone to wake up, it was trying to fit in as much information as possible while they _were_ awake before they fell asleep again.

At first, as soon as Ven opened his eyes it was all hurried tests and doctor evaluations that left him too tired to talk, and all Roxas could do was sit and wait, holding Ven’s hand when Aerith gave him the all clear, and holding back when he would otherwise get in the way. Since these sessions tended to wear him out, Ven usually started to fall asleep again almost immediately after (and sometimes during) the tests, leaving Roxas no time to talk.

Knowing this, Roxas spent the first week or so simply sitting with his brother, learning to recognize his signs of waking and alerting the nurses as Ven began to stir. As soon as the call nurse button began to blink, Roxas would start talking to Ven-- anything that his brother could follow into consciousness and focus on.

There wasn’t a lot he could fit into those few precious minutes before he was politely moved to the side, but they were _their_ moments, and Roxas treasured each and every flutter of lashes, every twitch and mumbled noise as Ven began to wake. After so many months of watching his brother’s lifeless body, any and every sign of movement was a small victory towards progress.

Ven tried to stay awake-- he really did try, Roxas could tell-- but Aerith had said that the healing could be slow, and that it might be a long time before Ven would be able to remain awake for any length of time. She’d managed to hold off further interrogations from Pete, although Laexus had mentioned that Xigbar had stopped in once or twice, no doubt fuming over Ven’s silence. Roxas wasn’t quite sure what they thought they would accomplish when Ven could barely keep himself propped up, let alone focused enough for conversation or responding to the medical tests.

Aerith… well, she said more by _not_ saying much about the test results. They were “to be expected and perfectly within accepted parameters,” but Roxas saw her frowns as she reviewed the notes on Ven’s charts, saw her examining the equipment and drip bags, heard her speak in low tones with the nurses as they left the room. When he asked her, flat out, if it seemed like Ven would stay in this twilight between waking and sleep, she’d simply shrugged and said that it was too early to tell, and that they could try some additional tests to see why Ven kept falling asleep.

‘Additional tests’ sounded an awful lot like ‘Things aren't normal and we don’t understand what’s happening’ to Roxas.

Aerith scheduled Ven for another MRI later that week, and while Xaldin was allowed to follow the stretcher down the hall to the imaging wing, Roxas was not. Instead, he made his way to the cafeteria to pass the time. He was nursing a cup of crappy coffee and picking at a half-stale croissant when a tray plopped down on the table across from him, and Demyx joined him for a late dinner.

“You should probably get some real food if you wanna keep your strength up,” advised Demyx as he poured syrup onto the toast and fruit piled on his plate. Roxas’ teeth ached at the sight of it.

“I’ve got leftovers in the fridge at home that I can heat up,” he promised. “So, does breakfast mean that you’re just starting your shift?”

“Nah, I just like french toast, it’s the perfect vessel for maple syrup,” admitted Demyx, gulping down a bite as he sawed off another chunk. “I can never get them to come out when I try to make them at home. I have better luck with waffles.”

“I’m more of a blueberry muffins kind of guy,” said Roxas, peeling back a layer off of his croissant. “It’s easier when you use a box mix, but Ven can make the best batch--” he stopped, stomach lurching as he realized he might never taste any of Ven’s cooking again. If he wasn’t improving, if Aerith thought there might be long-term damage….

“Hey man, when the doc says it’s too early to tell, she’s not blowing smoke, you know? It really is just too early to tell,” Demyx said through a mouthful of food. Roxas looked up, watching Demyx swallow, take a quick gulp of water, then smile. He stabbed another square of toast, waving it around on his fork as he spoke.

“Look, she’s not holding out on you because she wants to give you false hope or jerk your chain or anything. It’s just that his case is special-- not just because the police are watching things like a hawk, but because all of the tests are giving mixed results, you know?”  When Roxas shook his head, Demyx sighed, lowering his fork to his plate. He leaned forward, drawing imaginary boxes on the table.

“So, he gets high marks for response and awareness, right? You’ve seen how he can follow a pen with his eyes, and he tries to make an effort when the doc says stuff like ‘raise your right hand’ and things like that. He can sort of respond with yes and no to questions. He recognizes people, objects, and stuff, so parts of his memory are intact-- there’s been some confusion, yeah, but how with it are you when you wake up and before you have coffee? Er, that wasn’t a suggestion to bring Ven coffee to get him moving faster,” Demyx clarified.

Roxas just stared at him until he continued, and Demyx picked up his fork again, popping the cube into his mouth.

“Ok, so, those tests are good, right? A+ for effort. But he keeps falling asleep, and it’s impossible to hold a conversation with him-- he just stares at you, then he just sort of… loses interest. So tests are saying he should be making a strong recovery, but whenever it seems like we can go to the next level of evaluations, he sort of shuts down. Aerith is running all kinds of tests to figure out why, and until she has some idea of what’s going on, it’s just... too early to tell.”

Demyx went back to his french toast again while Roxas chewed on that thought. That _was_ weird, and it made sense as to why Aerith wasn’t telling him the full story until she had a better idea of what was happening, but at the same time, that didn’t sound like anything he’d read about on recovery forums. The patient either started getting better in increments, or you established the level of trauma and figured out therapy from there to assist in recovery as much as possible. Passing the tests and then consistently passing out for specific portions of those tests seemed less like recovery, and more like...

“Could he be faking it?” Roxas mused, tapping the rim of his coffee mug in thought. To his surprise, Demyx simply shrugged.

“Maybe?”

“But… _why?_ I mean, I get not feeling up to dealing with Pete and Xigbar is a dick, but why would he fake around me?”

Demyx shrugged again, stabbing another chunk of toast. “He's your brother, did you guys get along ok before all of this?”

“Of course we di-,” Roxas stopped, remembering the fight they'd had the night Ven went off and almost got himself killed. All his research had indicated that Ven probably wouldn't remember much of that day, let alone their fight, but hadn't the fight been a result of building tension between them over the preceding weeks--months, if he was being honest? There was definitely a chance that Ven could remember that, even if Roxas still had no idea of what had brought it on.

“We used to,” he admitted with a sigh. “Things weren’t great between us when… well, he’d gotten distant before everything.”

“Or it’s possible his circadian rhythms are way off!” Demyx offered with an encouraging smile as Roxas deflated. “The charts show that he wakes up sometimes in the night, so he might be more alert at odd hours of the morning. You could try staying the night again to catch him, or just try talking at him nonstop until he tells you to shut up. That usually works for Axel when he’s pretending to sleep!”

“Does that a lot, huh?” Roxas laughed despite the pit in his stomach, even as he considered trying the tactic on Ven. Somehow, he couldn’t quite imagine Ven _intentionally_ ignoring him, even if all the signs pointed to it. It definitely seemed more of an Axel tactic than anything his brother would try to pull.

“More often than you might think,” admitted Demyx, jabbing another piece of toast and shoveling it into his mouth. “He usually lasts ‘til I start singing ‘500 miles’ over and over again, and then he throws whatever is close at me. Which is too bad, ‘cause I really like that song but he just doesn’t appreciate it, and I’m a professional singer!”

“So the nurse thing is just your cover story? You’re, like, what, a vigilante musician at night?” Roxas teased, because he could definitely see Demyx dressing up in some outrageous costume and taking to the streets with his guitar, singing The Proclaimers at the top of his lungs. And there would be bouncing the entire way, because, you know, it was _Demyx_.

“The nurse thing pays the bills,” sighed Demyx, dragging the final bite of toast around the plate to sop up the remaining syrup. “If I can ever figure out a time to coordinate with Larxene and Marluxia, we could finish up our album and become millionaires overnight, start living the Rockstar dream.” He popped the morsel into his mouth.

“On the pluf fide,” he said through chewing, then swallowed, “the cafeteria food is pretty decent, and scrubs are waaaaaaaay more comfortable than those black coat getups they insist on for our shows. I don’t even like leather, but we’ve got an image to keep, you know? Gotta keep the groupies happy.”

He stood up and wiped down the syrup he’d managed to splash on the table, then piled the dishes together before picking them up. He grinned down at Roxas as he prepared to leave.

“You find the right button to push and Ven’ll be throwing things at you in no time! Aerith might be kinda angry if he breaks something, but it’ll be worth it in the end!”

Roxas waved goodbye, mulling over Demyx’s advice. He…. did not have Demyx’s level of optimism, let alone energy. Not even after four cups of coffee, he just wasn’t a hyperactive guy at heart. He wasn’t all that talkative, either, and he also couldn’t sing worth crap, and while that might work to his advantage in frustrating Ven awake, it could also potentially anger the guards enough that they’d threaten to ban him from the room. You never knew with the three of them, and it was better to be in their good graces, especially when he’d apparently managed to piss off the rest of the station. Or maybe that lingering ill-will was all just Xigbar, who knew.

He cleared up his trash and headed back to the room, trying to think of viable alternatives to annoy his brother awake. He could read through the code he’d been writing, but that was more likely to actually put Ven to sleep than annoy him awake. He could read the news aloud, maybe, but would Ven actually care enough to react to traffic reports and the weather? He nodded to Xaldin, heading into the room and slumping into the chair beside the sleeping(?) Ven.

He sighed, pulling out his phone and tapping it against his chin as he considered his options. He could ask Namine for one of those bodice-ripper books she swore she didn’t read but always seemed to have on hand, but then again, would _he_ want to inflict that kind of thing on himself? He’d have to be present and participating in ‘Operation: Bother Ven Awake’, after all. He’d bring in his own collections, but his brother shared many of his favorite authors and musicians, so it wouldn’t be an annoyance as much as a constant barrage of noise. He could even try Demyx’s music, but the peppy beats might be too much for Ven’s still recovering body.

His eyes drifted to the side table, landing on Axel’s battered cassette player. Of course! He flicked on his phone and sent the red head a quick message.

  * **_xx13 11:08 pm_ ** **:** Do you have any annoying cassettes you could bring for Ven?



He dropped the phone on the side table, planning to plug in his computer and read for a bit before he called it a night and headed out. He’d ask Aerith about Ven’s sleep cycles tomorrow, see if they could schedule another night where he could sleep over to try to catch his brother while he was awake. The phone buzzed before he finished fishing the PC out of his bag-- the reply was fast, considering the time of night.

  * **_xx08 11:10 pm_ ** **:** Dem told you about his whining tactics didnt he, lol
  * **_xx08 11:10 pm_ ** **:** Por Ven has no idea what he's in for
  * **_xx08 11:11 pm_ ** **:** :P



He chuckled, giving his brother a quick glance before texting a reply.

  * **_xx13 11:13 pm_ ** **:** So is that a no?



 Ven shifted in the bed, momentarily distracting Roxas from his phone. His brother didn’t stir, though, and another buzz had him looking down again.

  *   ** _xx08 11:19 pm_ ** **:** How does he liek Tiny Tim?



Roxas choked out a laugh, trying to imagine two hours of the man’s shrill falsetto over the whir of machines. He could keep it low enough that it wouldn’t bother the guards, and if he moved it closer to the bed, it would be in perfect range for Ven to--

“Roxas?”

Roxas dropped his phone.

Ven watched him through hooded eyes, the dark circles emphasizing his brother’s gaunt frailty. Still, he managed to shift his hand out towards the side of the bed, and Roxas instantly forgot about his phone, leaning over to give his brother his hand. He briefly debated hitting the ‘call nurse’ button since they always wanted to be there to monitor him while he was conscious, but something made him hesitate. Maybe it was Demyx’s casual suggestion, or maybe it was the way Ven made an effort to tighten his hold on Roxas’s hand. Whatever it was, Roxas focused on his brother, nurses be damned.

“Hey, morning sleeping beauty! You look like crap,” he laughed, scooting the chair closer. Ven gave a wheeze and twitch of his lip that could be interpreted as a laugh and smile.

“Feel it,” he whispered, voice hoarse. Roxas reached over to the side table and poured out a glass of water, then helped Ven shift to a slightly more raised position. Ven did not let go of his hand while Roxas held up the glass, letting him take slow, painful sips. He eased back into the pillow when he was done, closing his eyes.

“Hey, stay with me,” Roxas said, patting his brother’s hand, then laying a hand on his shoulder. Ven sighed, making an effort to open his eyes again, if only to a slit. Roxas smiled, swallowing the sudden lump in his throat. “You’re a jerk, you know that? Making me worry over you and stuff. When we get home you’ve got dishes and trash duty for, like, six months.”

Ven managed a smile at that. “Xion?” he asked, and Roxas grinned, knowing she’d be thrilled to hear Ven asked after her.

“She’s good. She’d coming next week for a quick visit since _somebody_ finally decided to wake up from his beauty sleep,” he said. “Fair warning, though-- she’s gonna be really angry if she gets here and you’re asleep, she might resort to putting seaweed in the bed or something. I don’t get why she likes the ocean so much, I blame Sora.”

“Keep that in mind,” whispered Ven, closing his eyes again. Roxas could hear the strain in his voice, knew he really shouldn’t press his brother, and knew that he should get the nurses in to check him over, but he just… wanted time with his brother.

“I’m really… I’ve missed you, a lot,” he admitted, squeezing Ven’s hand. “The apartment’s been really empty without you there, and takeout loses its appeal after two weeks or so.”

Ven’s lip twitched again, although he didn’t open his eyes. “Bad for you,” he muttered before it broke into a yawn. Roxas laughed, pulling up the blanket around his brother.

“You don’t remember the time I burned the salad and almost took out the stove, do you? Trust me, eating takeout is way better for me than eating what I cook.”

Ven didn’t respond, and Roxas looked over at the heart monitor, watching the steady beep as Ven’s pulse flickered across the screen. It was steady, and slow. Apparently even that little bit of talking had worn him out and he’d fallen asleep. Roxas slumped against the bed, laying his head on Ven’s hand.

“I wish I knew what I could do to help,” he sighed.

The beep of the heart monitor hitched, the tempo of the heartbeat accelerating ever so slightly. Roxas looked up at his brother again, who’d made the effort to reopen his eyes.

“They need... key,” whispered Ven, and Roxas watched his eyes flick to the door into the hallway before falling back on his little brother. “Found… Aqua?” The abrupt question and complete shift in topic had Roxas blinking for a moment, trying to figure out what his brother meant.

“Oh, no, Aqua and Terra are still missing,” he explained, knowing that Xigbar had told Ven as much, but not knowing how much of these conversations Ven actually remembered between sleeping cycles. “Do you want me to get Xaldin in here?”

Ven shook his head, the movement causing him to wince as he pulled at still-healing skin. He coughed, but his grip on Roxas’ hand tightened.

“Key,” croaked Ven, his heartbeat beginning to speed up, the machine’s beep sounding a bit more insistent, a bit more frantic. His hand tightened with as much strength as he could muster. “Use the key. Kingdom Hearts. In there. Everything is there.”

Roxas felt the blood drain from his face. “What? I don’t understand, what?”

“ _Don’t tell them anything_ ,” warned Ven, prying his eyes open, his voice coming out in rasps as he finally managed a complete sentence. His breath hitched, and Roxas recognized the warning signs of a coughing fit. He cursed, reaching over Ven to hit the call nurse button, although Ven’s grip remained strong. His eyes bore into Roxas’.

“They were planned,” he insisted, voice cracking. “They were inside--!” he broke off with a cough, and Roxas slung an arm under him, trying to prop him up higher to clear his lungs. He held tight to his brother’s shaking form, calling out to Xaldin.

“Help! I need some help in here!”

 

Ven didn’t wake up again that night, although the nurses assured him that his vitals were good, and while Ven’s reaction to the stress of talking and the resulting cough weren’t ideal, they didn’t think there was anything to worry about (although Roxas did see them adjust the medicine in the drip bag). Demyx heard about the incident and brought him a brownie from the cafe -- _“Don’t you watch Harry Potter? Chocolate has magical healing properties!”_ \-- and when it became apparent that Ven wouldn’t stir any time soon, the crowd dispersed within half an hour.

Honestly, Xaldin was more upset when he learned that Ven had gone into the coughing fit because he’d been trying to talk to Roxas, and Roxas couldn’t give him any coherent explanation of what his brother had said other than asking about Xion and feeling uncomfortable. Roxas could feel the man’s intense stare, but ‘ _Don’t tell them anything’_ could mean **_anyone_** , and he would take his chances, even if it meant yet another trip down to the station getting interrogated by Xigbar and Xemnas again.

And why had he asked about Aqua? Not for the first time, he wished he had a number to call his contact. But could he trust them? Ven had said not to tell anyone anything, so would they be included? But he’d mentioned this ‘key’ and then asked about Aqua, so maybe Ven wanted to give it to her? Where was his phone, anyway?

Axel.

Roxas sat bolt upright in his seat, realizing that in the heat of the moment, he’d left Axel hanging mid-conversation when he’d dropped his phone to speak with Ven. He leaned down and groped under the hospital bed, fingers brushing against the plastic after a few minutes of scrambling. He quickly brushed it off, the turned it on to see what he’d missed.

He frowned. No new messages, no missed calls. The last message still glowed on the screen, a friendly inquiry. Axel must’ve been busy with something, and of course it was late so he was probably out with friends or coworkers, blowing off steam after work. There was no reason that he’d be stuck to his phone or anything, he probably forgot he was talking to Roxas.

Roxas didn’t want to think about why that stung so much.

Instead, he stared at the reply button, wondering what he would say, and why it mattered anyway. Should he apologize for taking so long to reply? Well, if Axel didn’t care enough to follow up, why _should_ he apologize? It wasn’t as though there was much to report, or that he owed him any sort of explanation. But they’d left off with a question, and if there were ways to keep his brother awake long enough to _answer some damn questions_ , he wanted to try.

Roxas forced himself to relax, typing his reply and hitting send before giving his brother a goodnight hug and heading out. Ven was out of it for the night, and he had a _lot_ of stuff to think about.

\- - - -

Even though the bar was relatively empty for trivia night, the music piped in over the systems was more than enough to drown out small sounds. Fortunately, Axel felt rather than heard the buzz of an incoming text, a slight rumble through the glass bottle. His fingers flicked the screen awake and he looked down, checking the message.

  * **_xx13 1:01 am_ ** **:**   _You’re evil_
  * **_xx13 1:01 am_ ** **:** _That’s perfect, thx, I owe you one_



 He laughed, making a mental note to dig out the old tape from the back of the closet. He typed a quick reply before setting it back down beside his drink.

  *   ** _xx08 1:04 am_ ** **:** _I aim to please ;)_



 Saix paused mid-sentence when he realized Axel’s attention was elsewhere.

“Need some alone time with your phone?” he asked, drinking his beer while he waited for Axel to finish his text. Axel rolled his eyes, reaching over for a pretzel from the basket.

“You’re in a mood tonight,” he replied, twirling it on his finger, “bad day at the office?”

“There are good days?” scoffed Saix, but he shook his head, rolling his shoulders and sitting back in his chair. “Just busy, cleaning up after other people’s messes. Paper pushing and angry messages, contractors doing crap work, and projects going beyond deadline and budget. It’s been a long week.”

“Hn,” agreed Axel, absently taking a bite of the pretzel and crunching on it, staring out into the bar. It looked like Luxord was using his magic tricks on some of the patrons again, placing bets on what their card would be. Axel watched Luxord’s most recent victim give up another dollar to see the trick again, only to get distracted by the feint one more time. He chuckled, taking a sip from his bottle. He flicked his eyes over to the dark screen, but Saix had been watching him, and he noticed the quick movement.

“Is it someone special?” Saix pressed, pushing the pretzels out of the way and reaching for the peanuts instead. Seeing Axel’s confused look, he sighed and gestured with his hand. “The phone. You’ve been checking it all night and that usually only happens when you’re dating.”

“It’s Roxas,” replied Axel, not really sure why it mattered and wondering why Saix sounded so butthurt about it. He paused. “And it hasn’t been all night, I’ve only looked, like, twice. And you know I’m on call for work, so I’ve gotta keep an open line.”

Saix frowned, pushing “I thought you were going to cut back on hours and concentrate on getting a show together?” Saix asked. “Didn't you hear back from that girl, um, Rain, or Rana or something?”

“Brandford’s friend, Relm,” Axel corrected, “and yeah, I'm set for a show around the holidays. Marley said he was planning to close the shop for a few weeks anyway so they can finish up their album stuff, he’s just waiting for Demyx to put in the time-off request.”

Said sniffed, hiding a small smirk behind his glass. “And you, in your creative genius, have decided that you can create enough pieces to fill a gallery in what, two weeks?”

Axel laughed, taking a long pull from his beer. “It's not an entire gallery, it's a wall. And yes, I always do my best work under pressure.” He twirled another pair of pretzels on his fingers. “Besides, I already have about half the paintings I need, and I figure spontaneity is what people wanna buy anyway, right? Gotta give ‘em what they’re willing to buy. Worse comes to worst, I’ll just stretch a _really_ big canvas to fill up whatever space I have left.”

Saix made a non-committal noise, bringing up his glass, pausing, putting it down. He stared at it, then shook his head with a sigh. “You shouldn’t get too close to that kid.”

Axel raised his eyebrows, bottle poised between his lips. Saix always did value blunt truth over protecting feelings, but the disconnect between topics was weird, even for him. Axel lowered the bottle again, frowning at his friend. “What, you have an issue with Roxas?”

“Lux,” said Saix. “I knew I recognized him. Kid is bad news, you don’t need that in your life.”

“Kid's been through some shit and he's a decent guy,” said Axel. He narrowed his eyes at Saix, wondering why Saix looked like he’d just sucked a lemon. “His big brother was my best friend back in the day, why shouldn't I be there when he needs some help?”

Saix’s glass hit the table with a sharp rap, hard enough that Axel wondered if he’d managed to form cracks. Luxord’s head swiveled in their direction, too, eyes narrowing as he tried to see if there was an issue he’d have to deal with, but Axel caught his eye and shook his head, holding up a few fingers to let him know things were fine. Saix, however, did not seem to care about causing a scene.

“Do you know how much paperwork I had to go through because of his brother's actions? How many sites had to be revisited and how long it took us to get the brass off our asses so we could get back to work?” He sighed, shifting his approach. “Look, if you were close then I'm sorry his brother got hurt, but don't let the kid’s sob story make you forget how much damage was done, and how much it cost to fix.”

Axel scowled right back at him, though he kept his voice low in the hopes that maybe the few people in the bar who hadn’t turned to watch them would keep ignoring their conversation. “Jesus, you really are in a mood tonight. Back off. I get where to you're coming from with work and everything, but Roxas had nothing to do with that and he doesn't need you giving him shit for it.”

Saix just stared, tilting his head ever so slightly as he gave Axel a long, searching look. Axel had no idea what, exactly, he was looking for, but after a few minutes Saix’s eyes widened and his eyebrows rose ever so slightly as he came to some sort of revelation. Before Axel could ask what it was, Saix’s face fell back into his usual deep-set scowl.

“You’re an idiot,” was all he said, throwing back the rest of his drink. He signaled Luxord for his check, pointedly ignoring Axel. “You're an idiot, but I guess I've known you long enough to have realized that a long time ago and shouldn’t have expected anything less.”

Axel blinked. “What the hell is that supposed to mean?”

Saix’s face was unreadable, but Axel had known him long enough to know that it probably meant he was pissed off, although he couldn’t begin to fathom _why_. Saix gave him a level look. “It means I still think you need to leave the kid alone because it's for your own good, but I know you won't.“ His fingers tapped against the glass, a quick staccato in time with the music still playing overhead. Then he stopped, fingers poised to strike again. “What does Demyx think?”

“About what?” asked Axel, maybe a bit louder than he’d meant but Saix’s weird mood was getting to him, and it was late on a work night, and he might as well cut his losses and call it a night. He did, as Saix had so helpfully pointed out, have stuff to work on at home. Still, he decided he’d answer Saix’s question, mostly because there was no reason to be snippy, even if Saix was being an ass.

“Demyx was friends with him before I was, but Demyx is friends with everyone so that really shouldn’t come as a surprise to you. Ven’s in his ward and he talks with Roxas when his shift overlaps visiting hours,” Axel said, leaning back into his chair. “I don’t understand what you’re trying to get at. He gets on well with Roxas, and if you gave him a chance…. Well I don't think you'd _like_ him per se, but you would tolerate him. You’d probably get on better with Ven, he was a good guy.”

“Good guys don’t go blowing up buildings and leaving others to clean up the pieces,” Saix argued, but he held up a hand to hold off any other complaints Axel might have. He stood up, pulling his jacket off the back of his chair and digging into his pocket. He put munny under the glass to pay for the drink, then looked up to give Axel one last parting shot. “It’s late, I’m heading out and you can do what you want, you always do. Just remember that we had this conversation and that I _told_ you the Luxes were bad luck.”

Luxord made his way over soon after Saix had left, taking up the glass and pocketing the munny. “Everything alright?” he asked, piling the empty baskets on top of Saix’s empty glass. Axel blew out a sigh, grabbing the last pretzel out of the basket before standing up himself.

“Hell if I know,” he admitted. “He just gets in moods sometimes, guess I was just lucky enough to get the brunt of it tonight.”

“Hm,” Luxord agreed, lingering at the table. Axel sighed again.

“ _What_?” he asked. The irritation he felt towards Saix was quickly draining away, leaving him tired and a bit more curt than was probably wise, considering Luxord was the one who usually got him drinks. Fortunately, the barman made no comment on the terse reply.

“Couldn’t help overhearing,” Luxord admitted. “The kid seemed decent enough when he was here, so let him know he’s welcome here anytime. No drinks though.”

Axel waited for more, but apparently Luxord had said his piece, walking away to clear off other tables and prep the bar for closing. Axel pinched the bridge of his nose, holding back yet another sigh. Apparently everyone was gonna be weird tonight, and it was clearly a sign that it was time to go home, skip the painting for tonight, and just sack out. He’d just catch up on stuff in the morning before his shift, when he was fresh and he’d woken up from the surreal situation that was his life at… 2 in the morning. Shit. Well, it was better to start painting after a shift anyway, so he could go for as long as he needed to.

He’d still get the tape out before he went to bed, though. Miles to go and promises to keep and all that.

\- - -

Roxas’ morning had been… a morning. After waking up without any new texts (not that he’d been expecting anything, really), he’d stopped to grab a cup of coffee at the little shop on the way to school, only to find he’d forgotten his mug, which meant no free refill. Then it was on to his scheduled chew-out session with Leonhart, still reigning champion of the guilt-inducing ‘I expected more from you and I’m disappointed’ speech, followed by a workout session with Cloud. That, at least, had been satisfying. Nothing helped you get a funk out of your system like trying to beat the crap out of your opponent in a spontaneous bout of Struggle.

But even as he headed out of the showers and off towards his daily visit to Ven, there were times that Roxas realized that he made his life more complicated than he needed to. Like that time when he had decided to completely dismantle his PC as part a routine cleaning and took four days to reassemble it, for example. That had been needlessly complicated for a task that would have sufficed with a blast of canned air.

Or when he held off doing laundry for a week when he couldn’t find a missing sock, because washing a white sock with his black clothes was unacceptable, and he only had one load of light-colored fabrics to run.

Or measuring out a box into equally sized pieces so that he could bundle them into a uniform stack when he took out the recycling. All things that, yes, might’ve seemed overly complicated, but it hadn’t dawned on him to act any differently at the time.

But really, he could’ve kicked himself for not checking the contacts list of the burner phone sooner.

In his defense, the very idea of a burner phone was that you didn’t put any identifiable or trackable information on the phone, so why would there be a number in the contacts list? He’d probably never have looked if he hadn’t decided to check it for missed messages, only to accidentally bring up the stored contacts information.

There was a number labeled “Emergency only”, so it was clearly an intentional addition and not some random number that came with the phone, like to a digital voicemail or something. And although Ven’s outburst last night wasn’t exactly what he’d call an emergency, it was something that would probably be worth reporting. If nothing else, he might be able to get some answers about the things that had kept him tossing and turning in the night.

He opened up a new text box, then typed:

  * **_xx00 11:24 am_** **:** _What’s Kingdom Hearts?_



Roxas tucked the phone back into his pocket as he turned down the corridor towards Ven’s room, hefting his bag higher on his shoulder. Zexion was on duty this morning, apparently, and the young officer greeted him without looking up from his report, fingers flying over the keys.

“He woke up for a bit, and the doctors are with him right now,” said Zexion. “They only just started, though, so I think they’ll be in there for some time.”

“That’s fine,” replied Roxas, pulling up the other chair and sitting across from Zexion. He folded his legs and leaned back in the chair, settling into the seat. “I was hoping I could talk to you.”

Zexion raised an eyebrow, closing his computer and crossing his arms across his chest. Roxas gave him his most disarming smile, which apparently didn’t work on cops as well as it worked on the nurses and doctors. Zexion sat motionless, waiting for Roxas to take the lead.

“So, I just got back from one of my school counselor meetings and Leonhart has been on my butt about thinking about my future career and stuff once I’m done the upcoming semester, since, you know, last semester sort of went out the window.”

Zexion remained silent, though it looked like he raised an eyebrow under his long bangs. It was hard to tell with half of his face covered, but it seemed as though whatever Zexion had been anticipating, job-related questions were not among them. Roxas hurried on, trying not to lose his momentum.

“Anyway, the professor keeps telling me that there’s nothing to applying to the Academy Forces, that they just look over your student profile, check out your grades and whatever projects you worked on, and maybe talk with a teacher or two as character witnesses.” He leaned forward, trying to gauge Zexion’s reaction. There wasn’t any good way of asking his question, so he decided to be blunt.

“Hypothetically speaking, would having a police file on your record affect your chances at getting an interview?”

Roxas hadn’t mentioned anything to Leonhart about the file since that would’ve led to some awkward questions that he really didn’t want to have to explain away. Zexion, however, was in the unique position of probably having legitimate access to the file-- had probably even read it-- and there was just enough of a possibility that Leonhart might’ve said something during their meeting that Roxas could use it as an excuse to learn more.

He couldn’t ask outright what was in the file, not really, but Zexion could give him just enough to give him an idea of what he was up against, and if he should be worried about what was in it. Yes, he planned on cracking the mysterious and as-of-yet unchecked file on his profile, but Zexion would know if there were mentions of his more, ah, investigative ventures into legally-grey areas of the Internet and the Academy’s intraweb databases. Of course, letting Zexion know that _he_ knew about the file was a risk, but it was a calculated risk-- one, apparently, that paid off.

Something shifted in Zexion’s gaze, his muscles relaxing as he forced calm into his posture. Roxas probably wouldn’t have noticed it, but Cloud had taught him how to watch for feints, and he could see Zexion preparing for a strike of his own. The agent leaned back in his chair, steepling his fingers and giving Roxas a good, long look. After a few minutes of silence, Roxas started to feel sweat beading at the back of his neck-- maybe he had made an error in judgement, and it was possible--even probable-- that Zexion might rat him out to Xemnas.

“Hypothetically speaking, of course,” Zexion drawled at last, a small smile on his lips, “we all have some sort of file on record. Birth certificates, doctor’s records, witness statements, and so forth-- any official documentation could end up cited in a report that eventually links back to you. If you decide to join the academy forces, you’ll find that much of the information we gather is innocuous tips about someone’s daily habits, or feelings that key witnesses have about topics of interest. For most people, a police profile never goes beyond a parking ticket or insurance claim.”

He brushed his bangs back, catching Roxas’ stare with both eyes. “If you were to apply to the Academy, they would, of course, conduct a more rigorous record of your activities-- so long as you haven’t done anything that warrants going into the file, the file size remains relatively small.” He narrowed his eyes at Roxas, his voice going softer as he continued.

“Of course, were officers even aware of such files, they would be unable to disclose the contents to you, nor could they confirm or deny the existence of any damning evidence that could potentially block entry into the program, or even lead to _charges_.”

Roxas gulped at the emphasis on the last word. Was Zexion _warning_ him? Had he seen something in the file? Or was he trying to tell Roxas to go over everything and just make sure that his tracks were covered so they couldn’t be traced back to him? Or was it Zexion’s weird humor, his way of teasing and testing Roxas to see if he’d fess up to committing crimes. Roxas decided to take Ven’s favorite ‘offense is the best defense’ approach and pushed forward with more questions instead of allowing himself to panic.

“Ok, so, I know your official title is Intelligence Officer, but what does that even mean? Leonhart made it sound like all you do is dredge through old files to find damning spreadsheets that can be used as evidence. Isn’t there anything more…” he broke off, trying to think of the best way to say ‘not boring.’ Zexion chuckled, relaxing back into his chair.

“Proactive? Yes. It depends on the branch of the Academy forces you apply to. People like your brother,” he nodded towards Ven’s room, “usually focus on honing their perception skills, looking for patterns and inconsistencies, overlooked details, and anything else that could help make or break a case. It is reactive, but it’s a vital part of what we do.”

“And you..?” Roxas prompted.

“I use those patterns to predict deviations from normal behavior, which usually means finding information to ensure that we’re in place where we need to be to prevent or mitigate disaster.” He shrugged. “It’s still mostly spreadsheets. Working with computers is only glamorous in movies and on TV. If you want to do more hands-on work, join the forensic team. They’re the ones who extract the spreadsheets we go over. But most of the time the job just involves some level of sitting at your desk and running programs on one screen while you watch cat videos on the other.”

Roxas sighed. Data mining was not something he wanted to do, but the programs to _do_ the data mining had to come from somewhere. If he focused on something like that, they might not delve deeper into his slightly shady searches on the teacher’s network, and they might forgive minor alterations here and there to previous graded projects.

“Keep your code clean, and comment your functions,” Zexion advised. He opened up his computer again and logged in, preparing to type once more. “And always be prepared for whatever assignment you may come up against, even if it ends up being guard duty and spreadsheet coalition.”

Roxas stood up, recognizing a dismissal when he saw one. The doctors were still in the room, of course, but he could set up his computer and code for a bit while he waited. He had actually started making one of those old digital pet games just for the hell of it-- a little heartless that ate ice cream for health and played a guitar that looked like Demyx’s. It wouldn’t be his final project, it would be fun to try to turn it in, just to see his professor’s expression. If nothing else, Demyx and his bandmates could use it as a fun promotional app for concerts and stuff.

And he did feel better-- if Zexion’s reaction was anything to go on, whatever was in his file really was innocuous. Of course, he might’ve just convinced the officer to take a closer look at his movements in the near future, but he could keep his nose clean for a few months, at least til he’d gotten his interview and officially made it into the system. That’s when the real work would start anyway; with full access to the stuff Ven had been working, he might find answers that others (specifically Pete) hadn’t uncovered.

The doctor looked up as he came in, and Roxas recognized Dr. Hojo, one of the researchers in the Academy’s college of neural science. Apparently he was brilliant in his field, and it was supposedly an honor to have the great man’s interest for his brother’s case, but he gave Roxas the heebiejeebies. It was something about the way he smiled just a tad too wide, or watched you just a bit longer than comfortable during a conversation. And Dr. Gainsborough wouldn’t even stand in the same room with him. If _Aerith_ didn’t like you, then there was something seriously wrong. As such, Roxas avoided him and his fellow researchers whenever possible, but he couldn’t very well turn around and rejoin Zexion, and he was already halfway into the room.

He settled for a quick nod in greeting and turned his back on Hojo and his assistant, making a show of setting up his computer and hoping that Hojo’s tests would be over soon. When they were gone, he’d shift back over to the seat next to the bed and see if Ven would be up to talking. He could feel the man’s focus on him, but he tried shrugging it off, opening his development tool and running a test to make sure nothing had broken since he’d last turned on the program.

They were there for a good twenty minutes before they finally left. Roxas couldn’t quite hide the flinch when Hojo patted his shoulder when he said goodbye, and when the door had closed once again, he tried to rid himself of the lingering reminder of his touch by physically brushing his jacket off. That helped a bit. He settled in the chair next to Ven, who’d apparently been asleep for whatever tests Hojo had been conducting. Probably for the best, at least Roxas wouldn’t want to be awake for any extended period of time with the ‘good doctor’ nearby. ...Would Ven?

He leaned forward, speaking in a conspiratorial whisper. “Hey, coast is clear. You awake?”

Ven didn’t respond and the heart monitor didn’t betray any minor fluctuations, so apparently Ven really hadn’t been faking it after all. Roxas sighed, slumping back in the chair and raising his voice to normal levels. “You know, it gets pretty boring holding all of these one-sided conversations with you. I’m gonna have to start repeating stories ‘cause I’m running out of stuff to talk about. Or I guess we could do an audiobook or something.”

He looked at the cassette player and finally noticed the tape leaning against it. A sticky note with a quick “Found it! ~<3Axel” message and a little heartless doodle clung to the top of it, and Roxas grinned, looking back at his brother.

“Oh man, if you don’t wake up by the time I leave, you have _no idea_ what’s in store for you.”

\- - -

When it came to helping his patients rise and shine, Demyx was all for non-invasive experimental methods, so long as they were safe and wouldn’t leave any lasting damage, mental, physical, or otherwise. And he got where Roxas was coming from, really. But repeating the Tiny Tim tape Axel had donated to the cause was edging ever closer to crossing the line between “so crazy it might work” and “cruel and unusual punishment.”

This was… oh god, was it the third turn, or the fourth? He could probably ask Zexion, although he had a nagging suspicion that six hours of the man’s falsetto leaking through the door had probably left the guard’s nerves a little on edge. Maybe he should swing by and grab a donut or something as a peace offering before he went to turn it again? But no, Zexion complained about the cafe food, wouldn’t even drink the coffee. There were always the vending machine cookies, but those were on par with the cafe cookies. And he could offer ear plugs but it was literally Zexion’s job to keep watch for everything, so he’d have to sit through another playthrough.

Demyx paled at the thought, although he’d made a pinky promise with Roxas that he would keep going in every two hours to switch things around, and he never went back on his word. Zexion might hate him forever, but if the plan worked and Ven finally woke up long enough to complain about the noise, that would be worth it, right? Zee was a good guy. He’d forgive Demyx… one day.

But Zexion wasn’t at his post, and for a moment, Dem wondered if the music had finally gotten to the officer and he’d gone in to switch the player off. But he could still hear the music coming through the door, and popping inside, it wasn’t Zexion but one of Hojo’s researchers in the room, clipboard in hand. The man jumped as Demyx entered the room, dropping his pen in surprise, the heavy metal instrument falling with a loud clatter. He quickly bent down to retrieve it before he turned to Demyx, irritation clear on his face, and he pointed to the offending tape player, still belting out music about tulips.

“What is the meaning of this? I don’t see anything in here about musical therapy, and unauthorized experiments could throw off the entire recovery plan. Explain!” snapped Dr. Vexen. Demyx set down his patient folders on the desk and ran over to turn off the tape, sending the room into blissful silence. Dem stood at attention by the side of the bed, one hand scrubbing at the back of his neck as he tried to figure out how to work his way out of this one.

“Ah, well, you see his little brother thought that he might want something upbeat to help him wake up and stuff, and we thought maybe something like this would--”

“See that it doesn’t happen again,” interrupted Vexen, clearly uninterested in Demyx’s explanation. He made a few quick notes on the chart in his hand, then tapped his pen at the top of his clipboard. “What are you doing here, anyway?”

“Oh! I promised Roxas I’d check in on him, keep the tape running and--”

“There will be no more of that. No wonder the boy won’t wake up, you keep interrupting his sleep with these noises and your bungling around.”

“Ah, but I’ve gotta--”

“Stick to the schedule” Vexen snapped, clearly uninterested in what Demyx had to say. “Following the routine to the minute is the key to recovery in situations like this. Any deviation could be catastrophic. And leave the damn lights off. He needs to get used to normal hours if he’s going to re-enter society at any point.”

“Ah, yessir,” agreed Demyx, although he was definitely going to give Aerith a call when he left. She was the lead doctor on the case, her decisions would outrank both Hojo and Vexen, and she’d never be this uptight about anything as silly as music in the room.

Vexen ushered him out the door, making a point to turn off the lights and shut the door behind them. The doctor turned to leave, but Demyx grabbed his shoulder, pointing at the empty seat.

“Have you seen Zee--ah, the officer assigned to guard duty? He was here about an hour ago, and I didn’t think he was supposed to leave his post without a replacement.”

Vexen sniffed, pulling out of Demyx’s grasp. “One of his superiors dropped in, wanted to have a word somewhere away from that racket. I was with the boy, there was no danger.”

“Yeah, but we can’t leave until Zee or a replacement gets back!” argued Demyx, turning back to the door. “I’ll radio in and let the desk know I’m sitting tight til--”

“There’s no need,” Vexen interrupted yet again. He pointed down the corridor at one of the opening doors down the hall, Zexion and Xigbar stepping out and making their way back towards the room. Demyx relaxed as he saw the familiar faces. With Zee on the case, things would definitely be ok.

Zexion resumed his usual seat and promptly ignored the rest of them, although his movements were stiff as he powered on his computer, back straight and lips pressed into a tight line. Xigbar, on the other hand, leaned against the wall, arms crossed.

“What’s up, doc?” he asked, grin spreading across his face. Vexen sniffed, clutching the clipboard closer to his chest.

“My blood pressure,” he muttered, then stalked off, still grumbling under his breath. Xigbar laughed, then turned his attention to Demyx.

“Assisting the good doctor, were you?”

“Ah, I guess,” Demyx said, deciding against going back in to turn the tape on again. Apparently Zee was in a bad mood already, so he didn’t need looping hours of terrible music to set him even more on edge. Roxas would understand, they could try again in a day or two when Laexus was on duty-- the man was an expert at tuning Demyx out when he talked, so bad music would be cakewalk.

He gestured off in the direction of the rest of his charges. “I should probably get back to the rest of my … crap! My charts!”

He spun on his heel and darted through the door again, stumbling in the dark in his haste to get to the desk. He fell with a curse and a crash, and the wheeled desk chair spun out into the room, clacking against the wall before going silent. The lights flickered on and Zee walked over, offering him a hand up. Demyx got to his feet, but Zee didn’t let go. Instead, his grip tightened as he looked around the room.

“Is something… different?”

Demyx looked around too, trying to put his finger on it. “I mean, the music is off cause Vexen said it was bad for Ven’s recovery, but--” he broke off, trying to figure out why his heart started to speed up. Zee was right, something _was_ off. He tilted his head, listening, but there were normal hospital sounds coming in from the open door in the hallway, the chatter of nurses an intercoms, and the constant hum of machines--

“Shit!” he yelped, pulling out of Zee’s grasp and running over to the bed. “Crap crap crap crap craaaaap!” he whined. Apparently the loud ‘clack’ of the chair hadn’t been against the wall but against the heart monitor, which now sat dark and silent. Demyx got on his knees to check behind the machine to see if--” OH thank god!” he sighed, untangling the wire from the chair’s leg. He had the worst luck-- the chair could’ve gone ANYWHERE but where did it go but straight over the wire, unplugging the damn thing.

He’d get in trouble for interrupting the data feed, but it was more of a CYA thing at this point anyway-- with Ven off life support and starting to regain strength for things like eating and drinking, the monitor was more of a formality than anything else. He crossed his fingers as he plugged it back in, hoping Aerith would be the one responsible for whatever warning or reprimand he was gonna get.

The machine squealed as he plugged it back in, loud, angry, mechanical beeps and flashing lights that didn’t make any sense, because usually there was just a long beep and then it’d go back to its normal functions after some minor calibrations--

An empty bottle lay half-concealed under the bed--something that had been knocked off from the chair? Demyx reached under and grabbed it, sitting back on his haunches to examine the label, then frowned. This was a type of caffeine they’d mixed into Ven’s bag, but they didn’t keep it here, they did all the mixing back in the pharmacy behind the nurse’s station, which meant--

He jumped to his feet, reaching out to grab Ven’s arm even as he started pulling out his walkie talkie in the other. “I need a team! Possible overdose in the guarded ward, I need help in here NOW!” he shouted at the receptionist, then he turned to Zee and Xigbar, both of whom stood frozen behind him.

“Go get Dr. Vexen _now_!” he yelled, and promptly ignored them, setting his entire focus on stabilizing Ven. He shut off and removed the line to the drip bag, not wanting any more of the cocktail going into Ven’s system until they’d had a chance to analyze the contents. Had they been compromised, too? Or was it a direct injection into the feedline, just enough to send Ven’s heartbeat racing?

Demyx swore under his breath, feeling the start of tremors along Ven’s arms and legs. He hoped that the crash team would get there before the convulsions started-- they were literally less than 500 feet away, where the hell were they? He let out a steady stream of curses as he mashed his finger on the call nurse button again, and then his focus was back on getting his patient stable.

While Demyx saw to Ven, Xigbar peeled off in pursuit. Zexion stepped out of the way and pulled out his phone, rapidly dialing in for support and speaking in low, urgent tones. Zee watched Demyx in action, the normally cheerful and laid-back man practically snarling as a team of support staff finally ran through the door with some much-needed supplies.

Ven and Demyx disappeared behind the wall of nurses, and Zee turned his attention back to his own orders. Laexus was on call for backup, and then after that he’d need to get a call into personnel to up the guard duty to two agents, budget be damned. He’d need to fight with the staffing woman again, but what was new. And the chief would need to know, since he’d been commenting on the need of a guarded ward for weeks now. And then…. No. There was another call he had to make first. It was late, but he knew Roxas would be up.

Sure enough, the boy picked up after two rings, although he sounded tired. “Zexion? What is, it, did Ven need--”

“There’s been an incident,” Zexion interrupted. “You need to get--”

Two shots rang out down the hall. Roxas gave a startled yelp and started shooting off questions, asking what was going on. Zexion hung up on the boy, immediately switching over to his emergency line to dispatch. Fortunately, he was able to get through after only one ring on the other end.

“Shots fired at Radiant Gardens Medical--we need immediate backup,” he said after giving them his badge number. “Officer Xigbar is in pursuit of a suspect, and my assignment is in critical condition. I’m calling in Xaldin and Laexus in now. Wake the chief if you have to.”


	7. Say Their Prayers Out Loud

**_xx00 4:10 am_ ** **:** _I don’t know what to do please pick up_

 

 ** _xx00 4:20 am_** **:** _Please you need to call me back_

 

 ** _xx00 4:34 am_** **:** _Someone attacked Ven and he went into shock they don’t know if he’ll make it_

 ** _xx00 4:36 am_** **:** _Xigbar killed the guy who did it and there are cops everywhere and everything is a mess Xemnas is here asking questions_

 ** _xx00 4:37 am_** **:** _They won’t let anyone into the room and they won’t tell me anything I ahvent seen Demyx or Zexion or anyone i kno for hours_

 ** _xx00 4:37 am_** **:** _Please call me back_

 ** _xx00 4:38 am_** **:** _I don’t know what to do_

 

 ** _xx00 4:45 am_** **:** _Please pick up this line cant be dead_

 

 ** _xx00 4:50 am_** **:** _Please I don’t know what to do_

 

 ** _xx00 4:59 am_** **:** _Please call_

 

 ** _xx00 5:32 am_** **:** _Please_

 

“Roxas.”

The voice was soft and sweet, calling him back from an uneasy sleep. He uncurled from the chair in one of the back offices, muscles protesting the cramped position he’d maneuvered into after he’d given up trying to stay awake. He blinked, rubbing away as much sleep from his eyes as he could, but his body refused to move; everything felt heavy and sore, his head hurt and his stomach was queasy and his eyes _burned_ when he finally got them open.

Aerith sat down beside him, reaching for his hand and giving it a gentle squeeze. Everything crashed back in on him at once-- the call from Zexion and the abrupt hangup, arriving at the hospital to find Ven was still being treated for shock brought on by an overdose of drugs purposefully introduced into his system. Ven’s assailant -- a doctor, no less-- shot dead by Xigbar, who claimed the man had brandished what looked like a weapon while attempting to flee. Xemnas appearing out of nowhere and pulling people into back rooms for questioning. Aerith, telling him she was coming in immediately to take over Ven’s care.

He searched her face, finding only sympathy, her hand a cool weight that anchored him in place. For once, she didn’t give off her usual glow of gentle serenity; her hair fell in a messy braid, the jacket she’d thrown on was wrinkled and the nametag askew. Her pale skin betrayed dark circles beneath her eyes, and for the first time since he’d met her, she only faintly smelled of flowers-- no time to reapply a scent when you’re running out the door to save a dying patient.

He bit his lip, his fingers digging into the scratchy fabric of the chair. This was not the face of a woman bearing good news.

“We’ve got him stabilized and resting,” and in those few words she dispelled that gut-wrenching knot in his stomach, and he choked back his relief, gulping in air and trying to force himself to breath again.

“He’s alive?” he asked. His voice came out harsh and broken; too little sleep and too much stress had left his throat raw. But Aerith gave him a gentle pat on the hand with a small, sad smile.

“Ven owes Demyx his life,” she said. “We flushed his system and we did what we could to prevent him from getting any worse. I’m not going to sugar coat it for you-- his heart stopped and it took time resuscitating him. We got things back to safe levels, but he’s still experiencing some atrial fibrillation as what we couldn’t get out of his system makes its way through. That’s why it’s taken me so long to get to you-- I wanted to make sure his condition was stable before I came to speak with you. In short, he’s alive and out of immediate danger.” He could hear the hesitation in her voice, felt his body bracing for her next words.

“But?”

She sighed. “It’s too early to tell, but initial scans indicate the chemicals induced a seizure, and there may be damage. It’s focused in parts of the brain that control motor skills and speech, and it’s possible that long term memory was affected as well. We won’t know the full extent until he wakes up again--”

“But you think he will?”

She sighed. “I wish I could tell you that everything is going to be fine, Roxas, but I can’t predict what will happen, and how quickly he’ll recover, and to what extent. I’ve called in Doctors Bunansa and Venat for assistance, and we’ll be reviewing the case and treatment possibilities…” she paused, looking down at her watch. “In about 20 minutes. We’ll have more information then, but I wanted to let you know that he’s stable and resting, and that we don’t see any further danger at this time. I’ll tell you all I know once we’ve had a chance to review the scans in further detail.”

“Can I see him?” he asked, unfolding himself from the chair and twisting, trying to ease out the stiff muscles.

“He’s still in the recovery ward, and Chief Xemnas has ordered that the room be sealed, barring further medical attention.” She squeezed his hand. “It will be a bit difficult to get anyone in there until the police have established a new protocol for clearance, but since you’re family we should be able to get your pass expedited, especially since you're also his legal representative.”

He would have slumped where he stood if he didn’t think his exhaustion would make him fall over. Getting a pass would take, what, an hour? A day? A week? Demyx would probably still be on the medical team so he could make sure little things like a daily shave got done in the event that Roxas wasn’t allowed in, but what about Ven’s other visitors? Would Namine be able to visit? Would Axel?

He tried not to remember hours of sitting alone in Ven’s room, no visitors, no noise but the beeping of machines, or the quiet chimes of texts and messages. If he had to go back to that… well, it would still be different than before. Now Namine had allies in Demyx and Axel--allies who had already dragged him out to socialize, and wouldn’t let him go back to sitting in an empty apartment when visiting hours were over. And Ven had beaten the odds before-- he could do it again.

“What can I do?” he asked, and she led him out into the hall, pointing down the corridor towards the administrative wing of the hospital. A group of men and women stood outside one of the conference rooms, apparently in the middle of a coffee break. He didn’t recognize any of them, and they were all dressed in simple black suits, but their casual, guarded stances suggested cops or trained military forces of some sort. Aerith gestured in their direction.

“I believe the Chief Xemnas wanted to speak with you,” she said. “When you’re done, I’ll have one of the nurses get a cot set up in the lounge so you can get a little more rest while I talk to Cid and Nat, since Ven’s room is off limits for now. I’ll make sure you get an update as soon as I have one, ok?”

“What? Why does he want to see me? I wasn’t even here,” he said, knowing that it was probably just routine, asking if anything strange had happened since he’d last been there, but… _Don’t tell them anything._

His skin felt cold and clammy as he ran his hands down his shirt and pants to smooth out the wrinkles, but mostly in an effort to wipe off the sudden sweat. Ven had never said anything against his boss that Roxas could remember, but the man’s presence didn’t exactly leave you with a warm and fuzzy feeling when you had to deal with him.

Aerith gave him a tired smile, stopping at the end of the corridor that would take her back into the bowels of the emergency ward. “I’m sure he’ll let you know when you get there.”

Roxas gave her a slight nod and continued on, straightening his spine as he got closer to the officers on watch. They didn’t say anything, nor did they step aside to let him through. The only real reaction he noticed was the slight raise of the eyebrows, and a half-muttered _Lux_ as someone apparently recognized him… because he looked like Ven? Maybe they were a special team who worked with the investigative branch alongside of Ven and his coworkers. Or maybe they’d all been briefed on Ven and knew who he was on sight by proxy.

Whoever they were, if Roxas knew one thing, it was that Ven probably wouldn’t take any crap from them, so neither would he. He stood a little taller, widening his stance so he could square his shoulders against the officers.

“Superintendent Xemnas asked to see me,” he said, voice still hoarse. The petite woman holding a cup of coffee gave him a nod, peeling away from the group and beckoning Roxas to follow without a word. She led him down a short hallway to a closed door, knocked twice on the door, and waited.

“Enter,” came the low response, and she opened the door, stepping aside to allow Roxas through.

“Roxas Lux, sir.”

“Thank you, Agent Cissnei.” Xemnas didn’t even bother looking up from the report on the desk, but she left without a word, shutting the door behind her.

Roxas wondered if he should sit down and wait for Xemnas to finish doing whatever he was doing, or if it would be rude to sit without invitation. Usually he wouldn’t care and he’d just take a seat-- he was tired, he’d gotten no sleep whatsoever, and he really didn’t feel up to dealing with Xemnas’ mind games. But Xemnas could and probably would arrest him if he was in a particularly vindictive mood, and they had pulled him out of bed at 3:30 this morning, plus the fact that his trigger-happy second in command had killed someone _in a public hospital_ meant a mountain of red tape and paperwork to sort out, so chances were high that the man wasn’t in the best of moods.

Roxas decided to stay standing.

“Thank you for coming,” Xemnas said after he finished signing another paper in the folder. He looked up at Roxas at last, frowned, then pointed to the seat. Roxas sank into the chair and found it far more comfortable than the one he’d been given to wait for news on Ven. Xemnas folded his hands over the folder and leaned forward, and despite the fact that they were both sitting in the same type of chair, Roxas could _feel_ Xemnas looming over him.

“Your brother was in the middle of an extremely important case when the incident occurred, and after his infirmary took him out of commission, we discovered that several key documents were missing from his computer, as were pieces of his office equipment. Do you have any knowledge of their whereabouts?”

It took Roxas a minute to process that, the words filtering into his brain but the meaning behind the sentences not quite getting through. He blinked, trying to figure out why Xemnas thought he would know anything about Ven’s work equipment.

“Your people took all of his stuff right after the explosion,” he replied, trying to think if they’d missed anything, or why they thought he’d know anything about it, or why they’d be asking about it _now_ , six months after the accident. Had they asked him about missing files after the explosion? Xemnas’ eyes narrowed. “Ah, I mean no, S-sir!” he added.

He couldn’t remember, but he was really tired, and he hadn’t been at his best those first few days after Ven had ended up in the hospital. He frowned, some of the pieces of Xemnas’ sudden urge to see him and his unexpected arrival at the hospital starting to fall into place. “Is that why he was attacked? Since he woke up and was able to talk? Was that guy trying to find those missing files--um, Sir?”

Xemnas ignored his question and opened the file in front of him instead. “Xaldin said that your brother spoke to you yesterday evening before he was compromised.” He looked up at Roxas, holding his gaze. “What did he say?”

“He wanted to know about Xion,” Roxas replied, forcing himself not to look away. “And he wanted to know if you’d found Aqua yet. I told him she was still missing and asked if he wanted to talk to Xaldin, but he started coughing and I had to get help. By the time the nurses got him comfortable he’d fallen asleep again, so I went home.”

Xemnas leaned back, falling into his familiar ‘thoughtful’ pose, with steepled fingers and casually crossed leg. Roxas didn’t miss the shift in stance, but he had no idea what Xemnas’ play would be. The man frowned, although he didn’t seem particularly angry or upset. Tired, maybe-- even police chiefs needed to sleep-- but something had caught his attention.

“He asked about his partners?” he asked, voice sharp.

“Just Aqua,” Roxas said. “I thought Xaldin might be able to help instead, but he started coughing, and I didn’t get a chance to talk to him after that. He didn’t say anything about any files.”

“Hmm.”

Roxas sighed, scrubbing away more sleep from his eyes. “Look, if you don’t believe me you can check his stuff.”

“Ven possessions?” Xemnas asked, for a moment sounding legitimately surprised, enough to ignore Roxas dropping the ‘sir.’

“Well, yeah, I mean, you still have them, right?” Roxas asked. “Your people stripped his desk at home, took everything from the laptop to the plastic power plug cap thing. He didn’t leave anything in the apartment about any case, and I haven’t gone in his room since the investigators took everything. If he’d stashed anything in the rest of the apartment, I would’ve found it by now.”

He inwardly cringed at that thought-- he probably should have gone into Ven’s room to clean, but there didn’t seem to be much of a point when it was almost completely bare. And it felt… _wrong_ to go in there when all of his stuff was gone. They hadn’t even left the mattress, so he’d almost lost his brother twice-- once in the accident, and when they came to take his things. If Ven-- _when_ Ven would be coming home, Roxas would give the entire apartment a thorough cleaning and make sure that everything was in order for his brother’s return. Until then, it was just another empty room.

He paused, biting his lip as he thought about all of his brother’s things being bagged and sorted, then carted off in nondescript boxes to disappear into evidence lockers somewhere in the bowels of the Academy.

“Sir?” he asked, hoping he didn’t sound too needy or accidentally put the theoretical feather on the camel’s back, “I haven’t gotten any of our joint personal stuff back yet, either. They took a picture of our parents and a couple other mementos that are probably unrelated to the case, and I’d like them returned-- if that’s possible.”

Xemnas frowned again, although now it _did_ look like he was starting to get irritated. “You have the receipt? Speak to someone at the station, they can go through the list with you.” He sat there watching Roxas for a minute, who tried not to squirm under that stare, but apparently Xemnas wasn't quite done.

“I hope that if nothing else, this attack has made you understand the gravity of the situation and that you will keep us posted on any developments or thoughts you may have that will help us get to the bottom of this. Your brother's safety could depend on it.”

Aaaaaand wasn't _that_ quite the ‘subtle’ threat. But Xemnas had a stern, almost pleading look on his face, as though entreating Roxas to admit to some hidden secret in the interest of helping his brother. Roxas shifted, wondering what Xemnas knew that kept him hyper-focused on the Lux brothers. What the hell kind of case had Ven been working on? And what was Xemnas’ sudden and apparent interest in Roxas? The fact that he was getting up-to-the hour updates about Roxas’ activities set his teeth on edge.

“I don't know what I can do to help, sir,” he said, breaking eye contact at last by staring at his feet. He could play the eager-to-please role as long as he didn’t actually have to look at the man. “I don't think I have any information that would be of help in catching who's behind this.” He looked up, forcing himself to challenge the man eye to eye when he continued, “But I think this attack proves there was more to the accid- the incident than Ven recklessly driving into a building that happened to have explosives in it.”

“You may be right,” admitted Xemnas, and Roxas sat forward in his chair, the first flutterings of hope coming through. Did someone _finally_ believe him? “These actions indicate that there may be there are lingering ties to the traitors within the organization.”

“S-Sir?” Roxas asked, no longer sure that Xemnas was thinking along the same lines as him.

“Just because they are missing does not mean that agents Terra and Aqua have halted their ambitions, Lux. They may redouble their efforts to strike at your brother again.”

Roxas blinked. “You think Aqua and Terra did this? But why?” he asked, trying to wrap his head around why the people who’d first saved Ven’s life would be trying to kill him now.

“I know that Ven was close to them, and thus, by extension, you knew them as well,” answered Xemnas. “It may be difficult to see beyond personal bias in this, but part of an officer’s job is to remove themselves from the analysis of a situation and to use the facts to guide your investigation. The facts, as we have them, all point to your brother’s missing team members.”

Xemnas shook his head at Roxas’ skeptical look, his voice taking on a gentle, but firm edge. “You think them innocent in all of this? They were at the scene of the incident as well, were they not? Yet they filed no official reports, and have actively avoided checking in. The innocent do not flee the scene of the crime, Lux, let alone evade former comrades. Any who aid them in this evasion are complicit in whatever crimes they may commit.” He leaned back in his chair, steepling his fingers again.

“The Organization takes care of its own, Lux. While we serve the greater good of the Keyblade Academy, it is the officers who protect and serve the city, who live and die to keep its people safe. An officer who turns from his or her duty turns from the city itself and cannot be trusted. If there are clues that could lead us to locating them, countless lives could be saved.”

He pulled up the folder again, tapping it once on the desk. “Finish your studies, send in your resume, and I will see that you are placed as a member of the investigation team. Together, we will uncover the truth and keep the people of Radiant Gardens safe.“

He gestured towards the door, dismissing Roxas as unimportant now that he’d determined Roxas didn’t have the information he wanted. Roxas stood, the uneasy pull back in his stomach as he headed through the door. Even though the man had supposedly returned to his paperwork, he could _feel_ Xemnas watching him, knew that this had been some sort of test, but what kind it was, and what Xemnas had gotten out of the encounter eluded him.

And the burner phone sat heavy in his pocket-- was that it? Did Xemnas suspect a leak, and had they followed the stream of information to him? Were they going to keep a closer eye on Roxas, now that Roxas knew what they were after?

Roxas pushed through the door and buried the very idea of picking up the phone again. Probably best not to reach out to his contact again, lest Xemnas send someone to watch him. For now, at least. When he was home, he could try again.

He walked through the group still loitering outside the hallway and headed to the nurses’ station, the woman behind the desk vaguely familiar. Her responses were short: No, Dr. Gainsborough was still in her conference with Doctors Bunansa and Venat and there was no telling when they would be done. No, there hadn’t been any sort of badge left for him at the desk, so no, he couldn’t go see his brother.

He almost hated to ask about the cot he’d been promised, but the woman just sort of sighed and gestured to the doorway behind her. “In there, you should be able to find it, no problem,”she finally looked up from her computer, giving him a once over. “There’s a shower and extra scrubs if you want them,”she added, this time a little more kindness in her voice. Roxas wondered if he really looked that bad, but he’d take what he could get. He stumbled through the doors…. And right into Demyx.

“S-sorry about tha--AT!” Demyx yawned the first part of his sentence, the rest of it cut off as Roxas pulled him into a crushing hug.

“Thank you for saving him,” whispered Roxas, tears of relief pricking at his eyes. He wouldn’t cry on Demyx, damn it. He probably shouldn’t even be hugging Demyx, since it could be considered unsolicited fraternity or whatever the legalese phrase for physical contact without explicit permission might be, but somehow, he didn’t think Demyx would mind. Sure enough, once he’d gotten over his initial shock, Demyx gave him a tight squeeze in return.

“I’m glad I was there,” Demyx replied, bringing one hand up to pat Roxas on the head.

“Get a _room_ ,” complained the woman behind the nursing station’s desk, and Demyx lifted his head to stick his tongue out at her.

“Meeeeeeeg why are you so meaaaaaaaaaaaan,” he whined. He kept his arm around Roxas and pulled him into the lounge area, shutting the door on the woman’s equally dramatic sigh. “But she’s right, you should get some rest.”

He led Roxas over to a corner of the room with a cot tucked behind one of the couches. Roxas sat down on it with a grateful sigh, surprised at the tremble running through his knees now that he was sitting. Apparently running on shocked adrenaline only got you so far, and he could feel the wave of exhaustion setting in. But he resisted collapsing into the springy mattress. Who knew when Demyx would be available to talk again? He gave Demyx a smile, wishing there was something more he could do.

“I mean it, though. Aerith told me that you saved him. I-- _we_ \-- owe you everything.”

Demyx waved off the thank you, though he perked up a bit and gave Roxas a smile as he draped himself over the back of the couch.

“It’s ‘cause of you that I went in to check on him,” he said. “I realized that it was time to subject Ven and Zee to another round of music when I ran into… Well, it was good that there were witnesses on hand. You can’t get more official than two cops, right?” His laugh was tight, and Roxas saw him sag a little under the memory.

“Did you know this ‘Doctor Vexen’ well?” he asked, hating himself for not even considering how Demyx was feeling outside of saving Ven’s life. But Demyx shook his head, giving a slight shrug.

“He’s one of the Academy’s researchers, so he’d pop in from time to time to discuss his findings and get stuff for his research, look for subjects for his studies, that sort of thing. I knew him on sight, but I didn’t _know_ him, you know?” He worried his lower lip, and chewed on his thumb as he thought. “I guess you can’t really know anyone…”

Roxas slumped against the back of the couch beside Demyx. “They’ll have to reopen the case to some extent, to figure out if he was acting on his own, and how he found out that Ven was starting to talk again. I mean, clearly _someone_ wants my brother kept quiet, and whoever it was is really well informed about his progress.” He shifted his head to look over at Demyx. “What kind of doctor was Vexen, anyway?”

“He’s a -- he was a sleep specialist, most of his research was on the brain’s capacity to learn during REM cycles, unlocking potential, healing while sleeping, stuff like that. I know Aerith talked to him on a couple of times to see if there was anything else we could do for Ven, but he usually called.”

“You can't call in a sabotaged drip bag…” sighed Roxas, then he paused. “Well, I guess technically you can if it's connected to the network or any kind of wireless system, but--” he cut off, thinking about that. There was something bugging him about that idea, the remote trigger and Vexen. Or specifically, the device you'd need to set off a remote device, and the view.

“But?” asked Demyx. Roxas slid down onto the cot, scrubbing at his eyes.

“But I need to hear back from Aerith before I do anything else. Then, I have a bunch of things to research.”

\- - -

Despite his best efforts, Roxas couldn't drift off to sleep. After Demyx left to head home, he lay there for an hour, but he could no more fall asleep than he could stop thinking about surveillance systems and sabotage. Eventually he gave up and headed out into the hall, glad to see a more familiar face behind the nurse station.

“Hey Tifa, do you know if Zexion is still here?”

She smiled, then tapped in a few things to bring up the registration records. She shook her head, giving him an apologetic shrug. “Looks like he clocked out around 8 this morning,” she said, then frowned. “That's strange…. Did he get reassigned? The box with access permissions has been unchecked.”

“Probably just a paperwork issue,” said Roxas with more conviction than he felt. “I'm sure they just forgot to reauthorize him with the new security setup in place. Is there a badge for me yet?”

She checked the files, the drawers, and the general area of the nurse’s station desk, but to no avail. She gave him an apologetic shrug. “I don't see one, sorry.”

He forced himself to smile. “That's ok. Again, probably just a hold up in paperwork.”

She smiled, shuffling her paperwork around. “Well, you're next of kin and his legal representative, so they shouldn't keep you from going in. If they do, you come and get me and I'll get it straightened out.”

She cracked her knuckles as she said that, and he laughed a little, turning to head towards Ven’s room. “Thanks Tifa.”

He was glad to see that the door was, in fact, doubly guarded, but somewhat at a loss when the guards were members of the dark suit group. The petite woman who’d taken him to Xemnas sat in front of the doorway, coffee mug in one hand, book in another. She looked up, but didn’t speak as he approached. The blonde man who sat on the other side of the door didn’t even bother acknowledging Roxas’ approach.

“Is Dr. Aerith with him? Can I go in?” Roxas asked, having a feeling that they would just keep sitting there and ignoring him if he didn't speak up. The woman softened a little.

“She is. And your badge should be ready later this evening, so once it’s done we’ll send you a message. For now, you’ll have to be escorted in and out.”

He frowned at the blonde man as they headed through the door. “Are Laexus and Xaldin coming?” he asked, hoping he didn’t sound too ungrateful but feeling too tired to come up with a politer way of saying ‘when will you be gone so I can talk to people I actually trust?’

“Your brother’s case has been reassigned to a specialized team for his own protection,” she replied, the same indifference in her tone as before. “The previous agents have been released from this assignment and have returned to their regular duties.” She gave him a small smile, not unkind, but he shifted away from her, trying to fight the fear of having unknown people watching over Ven. If she noticed, she didn’t say anything about it. “Please rest assured, your brother’s safety is our topmost priority.”

He didn’t know what to say to that, didn’t trust his exhausted brain not to say something he might regret later, so he just nodded. He had questions for the three men he’d gotten to know over the past six months, questions he didn’t feel comfortable asking these strangers in dark suits. He had Zexion’s number, at least, so maybe he could meet the man later, in a more private setting. It wouldn’t be out of the realm of possibilities that he would have more questions about his future career, right?

Aerith looked up as they both entered, her face unreadable as she stood by the bed. Ven lay propped on the pillows, his face pale and an oxygen mask back in place, but his eyes were open. Roxas let out a sigh of relief as he hurried over. Awake was a good sign, right?

But as he got closer, he couldn’t help feeling like there was something… off. Ven’s expression didn’t change as Roxas came into view-- he didn’t even blink. He just lay there, staring off into nothing. Roxas stopped beside Aerith, turning to face her after Ven failed to move. Cissnei stayed a respectful distance back, moving over to the desk and waiting, hands clasped behind her.

“Is he on some sort of pain medication?” he asked, reaching over to pick up Ven’s hand. It was cool, not quite clammy, but certainly not as warm as he’d have expected. Roxas pulled up the blanket higher on Ven, who finally blinked, but otherwise made no other movement. Roxas looked up at Aerith, who had yet to speak.

“Less than what we’d been giving him previously,” she said at last, her voice soft. “Enough to keep him comfortable. We’d like to start phasing in some different medication to help repair the damage that was done.”

He swallowed. “We?” he asked, not wanting to ask about the other part of her reply yet.

“Doctors Cidolphus and Venat are highly renowned in their field,” she explained. “Their research into the manufactured nethicite protein has produced very positive results in cases where there was acute nerve damage. It’s still in early testing, but there have been cases of almost complete nerve regeneration, and we agree that Ven’s situation is an ideal case study situation.”

“You want to put him on experimental gene therapy?” he asked, looking back at his brother. Ven’s eyes had shifted while she’d spoken, and while he wasn’t focusing on Roxas, his eyes seemed locked in his general direction.

“His scans show damage to the motor functions and speech centers of the brain,” Aerith said, repeating what she’d mentioned… was it really only a few hours ago? It felt like years. “After reviewing his test results and discussing at length, we’ve come to the same conclusion-- Ven’s cognitive abilities will probably continue to improve, but the damage from last night will leave him more or less unable to communicate. He’s still recovering from the shock to his system so we’ll have to wait and watch his motor skills as he regains strength and we can test again. But we’d like to get him started sooner than later to get the treatment started during the initial healing stages.”

“But I’ve never even heard of this before, is it safe?” he asked, although he knew Aerith wouldn’t suggest it if she didn’t think it was a good idea. She gave him a tired smile.

“I can give you printouts of their research papers and their results so far,” she said. “Read them, ask me questions if there’s something you don’t understand. Talk it over with Ven, call your sister, see what she thinks. I can see if the doctors would be available to discuss treatment options if you think you want to move forward. You’re his legal representative while he is incapacitated, so ultimately the choice lies with you.”

Roxas looked at Ven, unmoving, although it looked like his eyes were starting to get heavy, as though he was ready to fall asleep again. Roxas squeezed his hand, then looked back at Aerith.

“Yeah. Whatever you can get me about this, I’d like to read it to learn more. If it will help Ven, I am willing to try anything.”

\- - -

Roxas spent another hour at the hospital. Ven only stayed ‘awake’ for another ten minutes after Aerith left, and Roxas waited another 15 minutes for a temporary badge and the promise that ‘a real one would be coming soon.’ In the meantime, Aerith had emailed him links to scientific journals with articles about the research happening in the Draklor division of Radiant Gardens’ Laboratory. She also sent him scanned images of printouts that she’d highlighted and made notes on, as well as a proposed treatment plan, and the results of Ven’s scans and tests. So, he had all of the information _they_ had to come up with his own conclusions.

However, the packet failed to mention cost, and while he wanted to believe that money wasn’t an issue, he could hardly see Xemnas pressuring the insurance agents to pay much more for special medicine or experimental treatments, no matter how important those missing files were. Treatments still undergoing research weren’t covered under an officer’s health care plan, and while he didn’t spend all of his scholarship money each month, he didn’t think the little amount he was able to tuck away would cover something that sounded as costly as gene therapy.

Still, he sent Aerith a quick reply back, thanking her for the materials and promising to touch base with her as soon as he’d had a chance to review everything with his siblings. He sent a request for the billing information, too, just to see what kind of cost they were looking at. He copied Xion on the email, then headed out of the hospital.

Roxas squinted up into the sky, debating his next move as he headed out into the overcast afternoon light. He’d left messages with Sora for Xion to call him as soon as her class had docked so he could update all of them when they were together.

He’d called Namine to let her know what was going on so she could disperse the information to other friends-- mostly so he could avoid repeating the story over and over.

He’d even texted Demyx to see if he could get another medical opinion on the treatment-- he didn’t think it was overly paranoid to worry about not one, but TWO unfamiliar doctors getting closer to Ven. If he promised food and Demyx wasn’t working or passed out from a long shift or show, he was pretty sure he’d show up. Just in case, though, he texted Axel to ask him to have Demyx give him a call when he could.

So that left him with... God, everything else. He needed to touch base with Zexion, and he still had those errands to run. And there were _finally_ , after months of nothing, new leads to follow. Thanks to Xemnas, he now had an idea of what to look for when he dove back into the Academy network. He winced, remembering yet another thing he needed to do-- he still owed Squall a rough outline of his senior project.

But all he really wanted to do was go home and crash for a bit to get some real sleep in. He was just so damn tired.

Fortunately, the drizzle that had kept the day overcast seemed to have let up for a bit, although the roads and sidewalk were still slick. Not bad enough that he wouldn’t walk home-- it wasn’t that far, and after the astringent air of the hospital, walking outside would do him good. If anyone needed him, he had his phone. And he almost couldn’t believe he was thinking this, but…. walking might make it easier to lose a tail, if Xemnas really was going to have someone follow him. He pulled out his umbrella (just in case of rain-- and maybe attackers, too), then headed off into the gloom.

After about 30 minutes, he allowed himself to relax a bit. So far as he could tell, there hadn’t been anyone following him from the hospital, either on foot or by car. Of course, if there were police cameras around they could simply be watching him that way, but he had to draw the line to his paranoia _somewhere_. And the clean smell of streets after a heavy summer rain was just the boost he’d needed to--

He slipped on the curb and probably would’ve taken a spill or twisted his ankle, but a firm grip closed around his arm and pulled him back to safety. He used the momentum to pirouette and turn away from his rescuer, one hand coming in front to block any incoming attacks while the other channeled the motion of the turn to extend the umbrella, forming a makeshift batton. This was all done in under five seconds, but it was enough for his would-be assailant to move into position and strike again.

Except she didn’t, and as Roxas’ brain caught up with his reflexes, he realized who had just pulled him back. The umbrella dropped from his hand, the cord caught at his wrist and it dangled, forgotten, as Roxas tried to make sense of what-- _who--_ he was looking at.

A ghost of a smile touched Aqua’s lips and she released him while he regained his footing. She looked… well, she looked better than the last time he’d seen her, but then, the last time he’d seen her she’d been covered in soot and blood, both hers and Ven’s. She’d cut her hair and dyed it blue, shaving off years and giving her a bit of a punk rocker look. He almost didn’t recognize her in the hoodie and sweats-- never in a million years would he have believed that _Captain Aqua_ could pull off the delinquent university student look. But then, hadn’t she gotten her start on the undercover team?

And yet, some things hadn’t changed. She stood tall and proud, even as she hung back in the shadows of the building. Her smile was genuine, but reserved, her stance solid and grounded, as though she was expecting an attack. She looked… well, she looked like Ven’s friend and mentor, albeit a little frazzled around the edges, but when you’d been on the run for six months, that was to be expected.

“We need to talk,” she said. “I know a place.” She pulled her hood back up, slumping her shoulders as though bracing against the light drizzle, and nodded for him to follow as she took off at a brisk pace down the sidewalk.

Roxas gaped after her, then cast a few quick looks around them to see if there was anyone else about. He didn’t see anyone, but then, he hadn’t noticed _her_ following him either, so he wasn’t sure how much he could trust his own instincts. He had… a million questions. How long had she been following him? Did she know about what had happened? Had something _else_ happened and he just hadn’t realized it? One thought pushed aside all of the others, though, and he stepped in front of her, blocking her path.

“You shouldn’t be here!”

“Probably not, but don’t worry, we won’t be long,” she promised, gently nudging him forward as she walked around him. “But some things are better said in person rather than texts and phone calls. Besides, I wanted to see you. Don’t worry, we made sure you weren’t followed.”

“We?”

“Are you alright?” she asked, ignoring the question. “I’m sorry I wasn’t able to return your texts this morning, but it’s best that you don’t use that phone when you can be observed.”

“Everything’s a mess,” he said, figuring that he shouldn’t waste whatever time they had together with complaints. This was a chance to get some answers, finally. “I’ll feel a lot better when I know more of what’s going on.”

“I heard about Ven. Trust me, we’re working on that,” replied Aqua, then pointed towards a cheery storefront, and he could make out the heavenly scent of bread as they got closer. His stomach growled, reminding him that he hadn’t eaten since last night, and Aqua gave him a quick smile as she opened the door. “In here.”

She led them over to a booth and slouched over the coffee mug, making herself look small in the wide booth. He noticed that she’d taken the spot to watch the door-- he would’ve taken it, but given that she had more experience and he wasn’t at the top of his game, he wasn’t going to argue. Too much was at stake, and they had too little time.

A waitress came and took their order, briefly returned to fill up their coffee mugs, then bustled off to help the other patrons in the restaurant. Aqua played with a packet of sugar but didn’t open it, waiting for the waitress to get out of earshot before she spoke again.

“I looked over the files again, but I don’t see anything out of the ordinary,” she said, getting to the heart of the matter. “There’s no indication of tampering with the videos, and no evidence that there was unauthorized entry into the building. There were maintenance vehicles, the construction team, and security guards-- it wasn't even the same day as the explosion.”

“I know,” he said, forcing himself to sip his own coffee and not devour the entire breadbasket on the table. “But they feel off, and I think that if I can get high resolution clips I might be able to figure out what it is. There has to be a reason why they were linked to the file-- they wouldn’t be in the collection without reason.”

She frowned. “It’s probably a case of mislabeled video, that’s all. Your last name was encoded in the file and someone moved a batch of files without reading the full file name.”

“Someone who tags stuff like Ven,” insisted Roxas. “I know how he files stuff, how he names things, tags he embeds. If they’re there, it’s because he put them there, and he wanted people to find them. I know it means _something_ , I just don’t know what, and I can’t figure it out until I have better access to the database.”

Aqua watched him from within the depths of her hoodie, expression grim. She sipped her coffee, running a finger along the rim and taking a moment before responding.

“I know it goes without saying, but you need to be careful where you look, and how deeply,” she said at last. “By this time you should already have figured out that Xemnas has taken a special interest in you, and I think it goes beyond the desire to do right for an employee’s family member, or even pursuing a rising star in the academy. If you try to go after too much too quickly, you’ll get caught.”

“And if I wait too long, there’ll be another attack on my brother and I don’t know if there’ll be anyone to catch the bad guy this time!” he said. He wanted to shout, to rage, to get her to admit that they should have figured everything out by now. Or, at the very least, promise that she could keep Ven safe. He needed to hear that she had a plan, that she knew what to do.

But he knew that expression, and as much as he wanted to vent his frustrations they _were_ in public. If he drew attention and she was recognized, the progress made towards getting to the bottom of things would come to a halt altogether.

“His security detail has been reassigned, yes?” she asked, although she clearly knew the answer. “Did Ven ever tell you about the Turks?”

His reply was interrupted by food, and the few minutes it took for the waitress to refill their coffee and make sure they had what they needed before wandering off again. Roxas ignored the angry growl of his stomach, although Aqua tucked into her food almost immediately.

“Those people were the _Turks?_ ” he asked, forcing himself to keep his voice low. “Why would they be assigned to protective detail?”

“If it makes you feel any better, it was neither Rufus’ nor Xemnas’ idea,” she said with a slight smile. “The orders came from Commander Diz himself. They might not be the most…” she broke off, trying to think of a tactful way to describe them, then gave up. “Their training is second only to a full Keyblade Knight’s. They’re known for their loyalty, but will allow a mission to fail if it means that they will save lives. They give their all, so if they’ve been given the order to protect your brother, he will be as safe as anyone can be, given the circumstances.”

Roxas chewed on that bit of news as he made his way through his sandwich. _Thank Namine_ indeed. If Zexion had told him that her grandfather had put in an order to get the academy’s military police corps to watch over his brother, he might’ve asked a few more questions. As it was, he probably wouldn’t see Zexion again for some time, at least until he could figure out some official business to go to the station. Maybe to inquire about Ven’s things?

Aqua finished her food, pushing the plate in front of her and reaching forward to pat his hand. “I know it’s not what you wanted to hear, but please believe me when I say we’re doing everything we can, as quickly as we can. I can’t tell you all of the details because I promised Ven I would keep you safe if anything ever happened to him. Ah! Yes, thank you, check please.”

They fell silent as the waitress bustled off with their check, and Aqua left cash on the table, pulling up her hoodie before sliding out of the booth. Roxas followed suit, hurrying after her as she headed out the door.

“I know you can’t tell me everything--” he started as soon as they began walking down the road.

“Roxas…” she sighed, but he kept talking, walking fast to keep pace with her.

“But there has to be something!” he said. “Xemnas mentioned files that went missing-- do you have them? Do you know what they are, and why he wants them? What would be so important that it would send Ven out in the middle of the night? That it would send someone out to k-kill him?”

All the stress of the morning, the fear, the fury-- it pushed against his heart, choking him and pressing against his lungs as his voice hitched against the syllables. He curled his hands into fists, resisting the urge to lash out and put his hand through the storefront window. It wasn’t Aqua’s fault-- not entirely, anyway-- but he was so damned _tired_ of being coddled and lied to, of people speaking in half truths or flat out refusing him to tell him _anything._

“It’s not fair!” he shouted, but she didn’t flinch, didn’t even seem all that surprised. Fortunately, the drizzle kept most people off the streets and therefore out of earshot of Roxas’ outburst. Still, she pulled him towards an underpass, sheltering them from the rain as he got his emotions in check. She didn’t say anything, waiting for him to finish.

“It’s not fair,” he repeated, voice tight. “I only just got to talk to him again. He was ge-getting better.” He fought the hitch in his breath, leaning forward to hide the tears that formed. Aqua slipped an arm around him and he leaned into her embrace, taking in what comfort he could. She rested her cheek against the top of his head, stroking his hair.

“We’re going to get them Roxas,” she promised, tightening her hug and running her free fingers through his hair in a soothing gesture. “I know it’s been hard, but you have to believe me when I say we’re close.”

He took in a deep breath, then pulled back to look her in the eyes. His voice was strong, despite everything, and he met her gaze with unwavering resolve.

“Then tell me what you need me to do.”

\- - - - - - -

It was late by the time he got back to the apartment. Between the unexpected interrogation from Xemnas, the surprise lunch with Aqua, and the last-minute errands, it was nearing six o’clock by the time he finally made his way up to his apartment, heavy bag under one arm, keys out in the other. He fumbled and dropped them as he tried the lock, and he dropped the bag with a groan, reaching down pick them up.

His fingers froze inches above them as he noticed the thin line of light under his door. He’d turned off all of the lights before he left, he _knew_ he did because he was paranoid about electricity bills and he never left the lights on---

The door swung open.

“Roxas!”

He got a face full of black skirts before he was hauled upright and squeezed into a bearhug. He blinked, taking a minute to register the girl who held him in an aggressive hug, then he laughed as it clicked, and it was his turn to tighten the embrace.

“Xion, what are-- how did you--?” he started, but she pulled back, scowling at him.

“Nevermind _me_ , what about you? Where have you been? You weren’t at the hospital and you weren’t answering your phone and no one knew where you were!” she said, shaking him by the shoulders.

“Oh, um, lunch, then…” he held up his bag. “I guess I forgot to turn my phone back on?” he said, and went to scratch the back of his head, forgetting about the keys in his hand. Xion grabbed his hand to stop him before he clocked himself in the head, then pulled him inside the apartment.

Roxas blinked into the brightly lit room filled with familiar faces and quiet conversation, a scenario that was most definitely not what he’d been expecting. He took a minute to take it all in, but his entry garnered a variety of greetings as people looked up. Namine put her glass on the table and hurried over to hug him from the other side. Axel had a mouthful of pizza so he just waved, though  he did seem to try to grunt some sort of greeting. Demyx sat hunched over a sheet of paper, pizza slice poised by his mouth, but he was too caught up in what he was reading to eat, let alone greet Roxas.

Roxas awkwardly returned the embraces of his sister and Namine, letting out a “H-hey guys…?” as he dropped his bag to the floor. “Can someone please explain what’s going on?”

Xion pulled him over to the couch while Namine got another plate from the kitchen, setting it on the coffee table in front of him. She went back to the recliner and picked up her drink while Xion gripped his arm.

“I got on the first flight available as soon as you called this morning,” she explained. She frowned, and hugged his arm closer. “We almost lost him again.”

Roxas reached over to hug her against him, and she burrowed her face into his shoulder. “Yeah… but we didn’t,” he said. “We’re gonna help him get through this, no matter what. Did you see him?”

“I took a taxi from the airport over to the hospital,” she said, reaching forward to grab another slice of pizza. She took a bite, talking around the cheese as she ate. “They said I couldn’t see him and I was in the middle of calling Pete’s sorry butt over to vouch for me when Tifa showed up with a visitor’s badge. Apparently she emailed the security chief as soon as she saw me and he did up a temporary pass for me, too. But--” she swallowed, “Ven wasn’t really with it when I went in. I stayed for a bit, thinking you might show up, but when you didn’t I called Namine and she came and got me.”

“And I called Axel and asked him to wake Demyx so we could all talk here, together,” Namine said, then frowned. “But you weren’t here, so we had to let ourselves in.”

“And you take the bachelor’s life to a whole new level of pathetic, you know?” Axel chimed in. “You can’t live on Captain Kupo’s Canned Ravioli, man.”

“I don’t eat those, they’re Hayner’s for when he comes over to hang out,” argued Roxas, although he flushed at the realization that his pantry was a bit bare bones at the moment. “I was gonna go grocery shopping tomorrow.” He squinted at the pizza, trying to piece it all together.

“So when you saw that I wasn’t here you decided to raid my fridge, got frustrated with my cereal choices, and decided to throw a pizza party while you waited until I got back?” Roxas asked, still in somewhat of a daze. “What if I’d been gone longer?”

“Where would you go?” asked Xion, not unkindly, but clearly not taking any flak for breaking into the apartment. “I love you Roxas, but you have no social life, so where else would you go but home?”

“Um, school?” he suggested. He frowned. “And I _do_ have a social life!”

“Anyway!” said Xion. “Since you were taking forever, Namine and I have been going over all of the documents Doctor Gainsborough gave you. Axel got pizza, so we figured you could eat when you got here.”

“Ok…” he started, then shook his head. “I mean, it’s great to see all of you, but _why are you_ **_here_ **? Like, why did you want to see me?”

“Dude, you called _us_ , remember?" said Axel. "We’re here to offer support, even if it’s just pizza.”

Roxas peered over Xion’s head to give Axel a slight smile. “Apolopizza’s cousin, suppizza?”

Axel grinned, but the joke was lost on the others. Namine reached over and picked up one of the sheets of paper that Demyx had put in a separate file, holding it up. “Have you had a chance to read over the materials Doctor Gainsborough gave you?”

“Not yet,” he admitted, wondering when he would’ve had time to go through everything with the level of detail a decision like this required. The stack in front of Demyx looked rather thick, thick enough that it probably would’ve been impossible for Xion and Namine to read through everything, too. “What do you think so far?”

Xion finally let go of his arm to grab another slice of pizza, but quickly settled back against him. “Bunansa is a bore to read,” she admitted. “The effort it took to make such fascinating research sound so blase is mind-boggling.”

“Wait, you read it all already?” he asked. He could feel Xion laughing at him, but she finished chewing before replying.

“Roxas, I read medical and scientific journals all the time for school. Like any self-respecting upper grad, I’ve mastered the art of skimming.”

“But you thought it sounded good?” he asked.

“Roxas… if this protein they’ve created does half of what they claim it can, it will revolutionize _the world_ ,” she said, her voice in awe. “Mankind will be able to create it’s own future, free of disease and sickness-- well, no, maybe that’s a bit too much credit, but their work seems promising. And Ven is actually a prime example of the candidates they usually seek out, so... yeah, it’s promising.”

“Better than promising, I _knew_ one of the guys they helped!” said Demyx, looking up and interacting with the room for the first time. He noticed the pizza in his hand, then tore a chunk off, tapping the page he’d been reading with the other. “There was a big accident back, um… five years ago? I guess it was a year or two before you guys moved here.”

“The rogue faction, I remember,” Roxas said. “Ven was hired on to help deal with all the paperwork and get the network back in order, make it more secure. Apparently everything was a mess.”

“Yeah, well, there was some crazy stuff going on. One of the Keyblade Masters-in-training went AWOL for a few months before he came back and took out a bunch of the Academy forces. A lot of people were hurt, there was this whole issue with a new form of toxin and the usual treatments weren’t working. We were doing triple shifts and I’d just graduated and had started working in the ER so I sort of got swept up in it all. I had to get a clearance and everything!”

Demyx paused, taking another healthy bite of pizza before continuing. “Anyway, I had a couple of the guys who’d been hurt in my wing. It was… bad.” His enthusiasm dimmed as he remembered his wards. “Not all of them survived. Aerith’s fiance was one of the guys who didn’t make it.”

He frowned and went quiet for a minute, but he had everyone’s attention at this point. Roxas shifted his arm to pull Xion a bit closer, and she squeezed his hand in turn. Demyx sighed before he started again.

“The usual go-to serum didn’t seem to be helping and things were getting worse, so the hospital board gave Cidolphus and Venat a free card to try out their new nethecite protein. Like I said, stuff was sorta a mess and they needed a win since people were dying from MAKO poisoning and stuff.”

“But the nethecite thing worked?” asked Roxas, looking down at Xion. She nodded, but Demyx was the one to speak again.

“They’d never seen anything like it. He went from almost completely comatose and paralyzed to better-than-new after a couple of months in physical therapy. Of course, he promptly quit the military corps after that-- I mean, who could blame him? --  but he’s still with the Academy.”

Roxas sat forward and Xion fell back as the sofa swallowed her into his vacated spot. “The patient is still here? Who is it, could we talk to him about the treatment?”

Demyx smiled, shuffled through a few papers, then plucked out one of the sheets. He handed it over with a flourish. Roxas just stared, then looked up at Demyx, mouth agape. Demyx’s smile turned to a grin, some of his usual good cheer returning.

“Cloud seems to be doing ok now, don’t you think?”

“Wait, was Strife part of the AVALANCHE faction?” Roxas asked, trying to imagine a younger Cloud wearing military fatigues or the dark black attire of a rebel uniform.

“Sort of?” Demyx waved away that thought, getting back to the matter at hand. “It's complicated. Anyway, the point is that he almost died and the treatment brought him back.”

“You wouldn't even know he'd been hurt except for the scarring, and we covered that with some art,” Axel chimed in. “In a rare act of generosity, Marluxia comped him a design and we were able to hide most of the damage.”

“He doesn't really like to talk about it, and Aerith still gets quiet if you ask her about it sometimes, but that's how they met,” Demyx added. He tapped the side of his chin in thought. “But Cloud would probably be willing to tell you about the experience, since he knows you and what you're going through.”

Roxas looked down at the case study that detailed the results of Cloud’s treatment, frowning at the sheet of paper. “So if this is such a miraculous cure-all, why did no one suggest this before? Wouldn’t we have been able to make more progress if we’d started this immediately after he got in the accident?”

"The nethecite serum is essentially a refined MAKO soup," Xion said, holding up one of the sheets of paper. "It looks like they tried to downplay that since people were dying of MAKO poisoning left and right, but for whatever reason, this particular cocktail blend healed more than hurt. Most of the time."

“Cloud’s file paints him as the poster-boy of medical success, but others haven’t had the instant recovery he did,” Demyx admitted. “And the program has limited funding and therefore a limited test base. The fact that Aerith got them to accept Ven into the program shows you the high regard the doctors and academy have for her.”

“Ok….” Roxas said, then pinched the bridge of his nose. “So, even if we get Ven on this protein thing and he magically starts to bounce back, what about costs?” Roxas asked, reaching over to skim through the stack of papers for anything he could find. “It’s all well and good if there’s a miracle treatment, but if we can’t afford it--”

“We'll figure it out,” interrupted Xion. She squeezed his arm again. “But we've gotta try, for Ven. We can go over first thing tomorrow and tell him about it-- Maybe he'll do better if we're both there talking to him.”

“I guess,” said Roxas, but Xion wasn’t the one who dealt with the bills, who had to call insurance to make sure things got paid on time and in full. But if the treatment was so hit or miss, would the high cost-- and he was sure the price would be high-- be something they could break into payments? Or maybe he could pick up some programming work on the side, ask Squall about trying to accelerate his application so he could work part-time while finishing up--

“Why do you have so many USB sticks?” interrupted Axel, who’d apparently gotten bored with the conversation and taken the opportunity to snoop in Roxas’ forgotten bag as he walked around the couch. Roxas blinked and leaned back to look at him.

“I’m going to add malware to all of them and then leave them around campus as a social experiment so I can hack the system and steal people’s identities to cause a massive panic across the entirety of town via the Radiant Gardens Network,” quipped Roxas. “Why are you going through my stuff?”

“No need to get snarky,” sighed Axel, who dropped the bag again and headed into the kitchen to top off his glass.

Xion elbowed Roxas in the ribs, giving him a… well, he couldn’t quite figure out what she was trying to get across, because she was rolling her eyes towards the kitchen and then waggled her eyebrows at him. Seriously, what was she trying to say? He looked at Namine for a clue, but she simply shook her head with a slight frown. He sighed, recognizing what he called her “teacher’s ‘I’m disappointed in you’” look.

He stood up and walked off to grab his computer from his room, and had it up and running as Axel came back into the room. Roxas clicked a button and turned the computer around to face the room.

“Ok, so I didn’t want to show you guys yet ‘cause it’s not done, but…” he trailed off, letting them figure it out for themselves. Demyx leaned in, frowning at the window in confusion.

“That’s the heartless shadow, right? Like, the mascot for the band and the tattoo parlor? The little shadow guy?”

“Wait, is this what I think it is?” Axel grinned, putting a finger to the touchpad and clicking. The little sprite jumped on the screen, numbers floating above its head before it returned to its original position. He looked at Roxas. “You were serious?”

“I haven’t gotten all of the animations and stuff in because I’m crap at art, but most of the coding is in place, yeah.” Roxas reached over to click a few more buttons, generating more responses from the program. Axel laughed, playing with it a bit more before sitting back on his haunches.

“So here’s the thing, you should probably get permission from the artist before you use it in a program,” he said, and Roxas flushed in embarrassment, and stammered an excuse.

“I wasn’t gonna sell it--”

“ _Fortunately_ the artist is a pretty cool guy,” interrupted Axel, “who would love to help you with some decent animations and backgrounds and shit you need, on one condition.”

“Which is?”

“I’ve got a show coming up in a couple of months. If I can talk the gallery owner into letting me use one of their interactive screens, can we get this on there?”

Roxas blinked. “Well…. Yeah, I mean, it’s just a computer program. You could put it on your phone if you wanted to. I mean, we could add in code to promote your show and then let anyone download and play it--- more publicity for you. I figured I would give it to you guys anyway, but I wasn't gonna show you til it was closer to completion.”

“And I can make music for it!” interjected Demyx, now happily feeding the heartless sprite a star graphic that represented food. “Promote your show AND the band AND the parlor and Marley will die a happy man.”

“It’s settled, then!” said Namine, clasping her hands together. “Roxas, tomorrow you and Xion should talk to Doctor Gainsborough, then see if you can get a reaction out of Ven by telling him about it, too. I’ll talk to Grampa Diz about any funds he knows about to help injured officers-- there have to be a bunch out there. Demyx, you--” she broke off, frowning. “You should probably sleep, you didn’t get to sleep that much this afternoon. And Axel--”

“I’ve got work,” he said before she could assign him anything.

“Then come over afterwards for dinner and then you can help Roxas with his project,” Xion suggested. She smiled at Namine. “Roxas and I will make sure there's something edible in the fridge, and then Namine and I are gonna catch up, so you boys can entertain yourselves for a while, right?”

Roxas narrowed his eyes, looking between the two girls, wondering _what the hell Namine had said to Xion_ and worrying about the subsequent consequences of two unstoppable will powers working in tandem. God help anyone who stood in their way…. Crap, he hoped they didn’t have anything planned for him up their sleeves.

No one else seemed to have the same reservations, however. They stayed together to talk for a few more hours, chattering about nothing of consequence and feeling completely and utterly… _normal_ , which was weird, because usually it was just him and the quiet hum of electronics, or maybe a movie played low in the background while he messed around online. The bright lights and the happy chatter was _nice_.

He was actually smiling by the time he and Xion walked people to the door, feeling _hopeful_ again. They were gonna find a way to make it work and then _by GOD_ Ven was gonna start getting better. The universe owed it to the Lux trio after all the crap they’d been through.

He gave Xion his room and would take no argument against it, although he did make a mental note to invest in an inflatable mattress or sleeping bags or something for when the gang descended on him in a few weeks. The couch wasn’t uncomfortable, but he could hardly expect four people to sleep on it. Maybe Namine had stuff he could borrow while they were in town, she did always have a lot of random stuff in that mansion…He'd have to ask her tomorrow when she and Xion met up, and he'd have to make sure to clear enough room for Axel to work-- what would he need for animation stuff, anyway, other than a computer? He'd have to text him in the morning to find out...

He drifted off with thoughts of everything they were going to accomplish the next day, and his dreams were filled with hearts.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Huge shout out and thank you to Myamii and their partner. You both are amazing, thank you so, so much for all of your tech help and assistance in straightening out plot points that all the Googling in the world would not resolve. I am in your debt, and I am SO excited to write what we talked about. <3  
> 


	8. Ring the Bells

Roxas once read or heard somewhere that progress should not be measured in milestones, but in small, steady steps. That you should celebrate each action that moved you towards your goal, because that was a step in the right direction. And that ultimately, if you kept at it, you could look back and see how far you’d come.

He was pretty sure that whoever had written or said that had not been through seven months of Hell where there’d been no progress for ages, then a milestone, then a step _back_. Of course, the speaker or writer or whatever had talked about setbacks, which were to be expected, but they’d also said something about how even those were still a step in the right direction. Maybe they took you up a different path than you’d originally planned, but you would get to ‘where you needed to be’ in the end.

Roxas thought that was bullshit.

Then again, he didn’t agree with a lot of stuff that he’d read or watched or heard, and sometimes his skepticism proved true in the end, and then other times, well… Cloud had spoken to him at length-- Roxas thought this was probably because Aerith had asked him to, but Cloud answered his questions, given him candid, sometimes painful recollections of the recovery process.

Roxas didn’t ask about the ghost that Aerith and Cloud talked around when asked about that time in their lives-- it wasn’t part of the medical records, and it was none of his business. But they’d spoken to the three Lux siblings, given them the facts as they were known, and confirmed that Cid and Venat would not be coming in without scheduled visits (Cid did not believe in ‘coddling the science’ and so would not stop in unless needed).

In the end, Roxas signed off on giving the treatment a try. As Namine had said, they would figure out a way to pay for it later. The day he signed the papers, a serendipitous opportunity for part time work landed in his lap, which he’d taken it as a sign that he’d done the right thing. After that, they all figuratively held their collective breath to wait and see.

And then, five weeks later, Ven managed to give Pete the finger. Roxas had never been so grateful to be wrong, or so proud of his brother’s achievements.

Pete was a little less excited, of course-- he was just doing his job after all, and it wasn’t his fault that Xemnas wouldn’t let the debriefing rest until Ven had finished answering all of the questions in the report-- questions that, if Roxas had to take a guess, Xemnas himself had probably ordered Pete to ask.

But the nethecite protein seemed to be working-- maybe not as miraculously as Cloud’s recovery had been, not nearly so quick, but Roxas wasn’t willing to let them introduce a stronger MAKO serum into the mix to see if they could figure out doses to boost recovery. Ven was making progress. And it might not have been the path they’d anticipated, but it was still progress of a sort.

Vocalizations were still difficult. Ven managed to get out some sounds, but he was still partially paralyzed on the left side of his body, so if he managed words, they came out slurred and indistinct. He wasn’t quite mobile on his own-- he managed to prop himself up in bed, was able to feed himself with assistance, and started rebuilding strength in his right hand.

The middle finger was the first true sign that the treatment was, in fact, having a remarkable effect on his recovery, because not only had Ven managed to give Pete the bird with his _left_ hand, he’d eloquently signaled to everyone there to witness it that the interview was over in true, ornery Lux spirit.

“We ain’t done yet!” shouted Pete as Ven pointedly rolled his eyes before turning his gaze out the window. Roxas suppressed a chuckle, standing up to soothe ruffled feathers. After all, Pete was just doing his job, it wasn’t his fault that he sucked at it.

“I think he’s a bit tired for the day, why don’t we end there and try again later in a couple days, maybe on a day that he hasn’t spent the morning in and out of tests? Are you free Monday?” suggested Roxas. Pete muttered something under his breath, but he did stand, shutting off the recorder, collecting his things and heading out the door without saying goodbye or when he’d be back.

Roxas flopped into the vacated seat, letting out a sigh. “I know he’s a dick but we sort of need him on our side if we’re gonna help with the case. Can’t you at least _pretend_ to think about his questions before you blow him off? If you piss him off, he could get you arrested for obstructing justice or something.”

Another eyeroll, but Ven did turn his attention away from the window and focused on Roxas. His right hand pawed at the abandoned touchpad he’d used to communicate with Pete-- a simple display of short responses, as well as a digital keyboard so he could type out a very short word over a very long time. Ven preferred the response buttons for most of his official communications, reserving the keyboard for his talks with Roxas. Roxas watched the screen as Ven carefully tapped out his question.

**_“XI?”_ **

“Xion? Yeah, she and the gang should be arriving pretty soon, maybe in an hour or so,” he said. Ven gave him a look, which Roxas tried to interpret and answer. “Yeah, Namine is picking them all up and dropping them off, but I think Xion’s gonna get a ride over here so we can hang out for a bit until they kick us out. The Turks aren’t as lax about extending visiting hours as Zexion, Laexus, or Xaldin.”

Ven let out a huff of air and gave a miniscule shake of the head. Roxas laughed too.

“Yeah, well, I’m not going to risk it. Anyway, Axel already told me that if we’re not ready to go by 8 he’s gonna tell Luxord there was a mixup and we’re only turning 20.”

Ven sagged a little at that. Roxas reached over and squeezed his hand, giving his brother a smile.

“I wish you could come tonight, but I already told you, it’s nothing big, just a couple of friends. Besides, we’re gonna throw a massive party once you’re up and outta here. Plus we got day passes for Sora, Riku, and Kairi to come visit tomorrow, so you’re gonna have to rest up anyway. I know _I’m_ gonna need some downtime once they leave, I dunno how Xion can keep up with them.”

Ven carefully typed out “ ** _SUN_ ** ”, which made Roxas laugh.

“Yeah, I guess we missed that trait, huh? I’ll take the glow of a computer over a day under the sun any day. She seems happy, though. Apparently she’s been doing stuff at the local wildlife rescue and rehabilitation center recently, so I bet we’ll hear about that tonight. It sounds like she’s been doing really well at school-- I guess you could say she’s taking to it like a fish to water!”

Ven gave him a pained look as Roxas laughed at his own joke. When he’d finished chuckling over how funny he was, he read Ven’s screen, then groaned.

“You’re just as bad as Squall,” he complained. “I _know_ I have deadlines. I’m _working_ on it. I just have a lot on my plate right now. It’ll be done by the end of the semester. Besides, I already told him about the side project and I’ve already gotten approval to load the alpha build to school computers. I’m gonna get as much feedback as possible on the build so I can get the beta phase in works before midterms. Squall promised to ask professors to give it a try for testing purposes, and I think Demyx said that some of the nurses and doctors here have been playing, too. I just wanna make sure I have a widespread baseline of decent feedback before I start a rebuild.”

“ ** _RL PRJCT?”_ **

“What do you mean, ‘real project’?” grumbled Roxas. “This is a legitimate endeavor into coding practices-- I’m maintaining a server, I built the engine, I’m handling updates and bug squashing and making sure that nothing bad can get in. I’m handling server requests and using cloud services to let people try to beat each other’s high scores.”

He laughed and grinned at Ven. “Besides, Squall said he doesn’t care what I do at this point, so long as he has something complete to grade. And Axel thought it would be good for his show, and Demyx wants to use it to promote his band, so it’s not like it’s a _wasted_ effort. Let me have some fun before I’ve gotta join the working world. Besides, I've already gotten some part-time work to do on the side.”

Ven stared at him, clearly not buying the “dutiful student” act, but there really was only so much Roxas could do. He sighed, waving that aside.

“Also, I talked to Doctor Gainsborough and asked her about the eye-tracking setup again, but it sounds like it’s been tangled up in politics of some sort, a question of security. I tried cracking the code to see if I could get the software on a phone or something and smuggle it in, but no luck so far.”

 **“** ** _Z_ ** **”**

Roxas frowned. Sometimes it was hard to tell the difference between an intentional tap and a typo, but Ven waited, clearly expecting Roxas to respond.

“Z… Zexion?” Roxas asked, and Ven’s finger tapped on the “ ** _Yes_ ** ” response button. “You think Zexion can help with the paperwork? He was reassigned from your protection duty, and I’ve been told not to bother him since he has ‘real police work’ to do. I don’t wanna get him in trouble by going through backdoor channels to get what we want. Why don’t I just see if Pete can get it pushed for the investigation? Or would it help to go directly to Xemnas, ask him?”

Ven’s finger hovered over the keyboard, paused, then dropped back. He shut his eyes, and Roxas waited. Dr. Gainsborough had warned him that trying too much too fast would tire Ven out, and while they were all anxious to get results, Ven’s health, while improving, was still weak.

There were still days when Ven would go into an unresponsive state, barely eating or drinking, and those were the dark, uncertain nights that kept Roxas anxious and afraid, sitting by his vegetative brother and writing line after line of code, praying that Ven would snap out of it, that he would walk over to quibble over Roxas’ shoddy work.

But there were also days of Namine sitting with Ven and helping him paint, trying to build muscle strength and control. Lazy afternoons where Axel would sketch and tell him about the trouble he and Ven had gotten into when they were young, or Demyx popping in to say hello and getting caught up in whatever audiobook was playing. Weekends when Roxas could go out and reconnect with other friends, knowing that his brother was safe under the protective (if a little intimidating) eye of the elite guards. Long summer evenings with ice cream and fries, ending with movie nights or jam sessions or just hanging out, talking about anything and nothing at all.

In hindsight, maybe he should have spent a _little_ more time coming up with a ‘real project’, rather than spending more time on a simple digital pets game and his side project. Maybe he should have tried to fit a fencing tournament in, since he was still practicing with Cloud four times a week, instead of going out to impromptu band jams with the _Heartless_ gang. Maybe he should have stayed away from the hospital to let Ven rest more, spent more time focusing on his own work so Ven could focus on getting better instead of wearing himself out.

But truth be told, if he could go back? Roxas wouldn’t have changed a thing about that summer. Ven was getting better. Everything else was just icing on the cake.

Roxas considered dealing with Xemnas again. The man was an ass, but he was probably the best person to go to because he was an ass who got stuff done. He magically made stuff happen, usually by being an overbearing jerk and intimidating people into doing what he wanted. How Ven had lasted under the man for more than a year boggled the mind.

“I have to go to the station anyway,” he said. “They finally said they’ll release some of our stuff and then I can just swing in and see if Xemnas will let me--”

**_“NO.”_ **

Ven typed that out instead of using the response button, the strong capital letters blinking on the screen. Roxas blinked.

“But he might be able to--”

“ ** _NO.”_ **

“I mean, yeah, he’s kinda a dick but the investigation into everything is still ongoing and if you keep being an ass to Pete, you’re only making yourself look guilty by refusing to answer his stupid questions. I mean, would it kill you to say ‘yes’ or ‘no’ about seeing the power trucks? The footage shows you driving past them, you’re only confirming what they already have on visual--”

**“NO** **_.”_ **

“Well, ok, then you’d better get faster at typing or you’ll be stuck debriefing Pete for _months_ because the requisitions request seems to be dead in the water.” Roxas sighed and closed his eyes, trying not to get too angry. If he was getting angry, it must be ten times as bad for Ven, unable to communicate quickly, stuck with a small keypad and a few odd grunts or movements.

But he didn’t have to be an _ass_ about it. And Roxas did worry-- Pete was relatively harmless in his ineptitude, and for now, Xemnas only seemed to want to clarify a few odds and ends. At least, he hadn’t sent anyone else to try interrogating Ven, so that was probably a good sign that Xemnas figured there were bigger, more important fish to fry. Ven’s confusion when it came to missing files and equipment had given them some reprieve-- at least, he hoped it did.

The soft thud of fingers against the tablet meant Ven was talking again, so Roxas opened his eyes. He squinted, trying to make sense of the shorthand.

“Private… sector? What?” Ven let out what probably would have been a growl of frustration, then tapped again.

“ ** _NO ACAD, NO POL, GO PVT SCTR”_ **

“You don’t want me to join the Academy police? Ven, that’s _literally_ what I’ve been working towards for the last three years. What the hell am I supposed to do in the private sector, be the IT guy?”

The corner of Ven’s mouth twitched, and he typed out “ ** _VIDEO GAMES”_ **

“Ugh, you’ve got a shitty sense of humor, you know that, right?” said Roxas, but Ven’s fingers were already tapping out another message. Roxas waited.

“ ** _WATCH. Yes. ?”_ **

Roxas sighed. “Yes, fine, I’m watching, what?”

Ven’s fingers hovered over the keypad, spelling out a long chain of letters, then stopped over “ **_Yes._ ** ”

**D-O-N-T-S-A-Y-O-U-T-L-O-U-D-N-O-D-I-F-Yes**

Roxas frowned, taking a moment to parse out the sentence, but nodded when he finally got it. Ven’s finger moved quickly over the tablet, lingering on letters without tapping.

**W-A-T-C-H-I-N-G-E-V-E-R-Y-T-H-I-N-G-T-Y-P-E-T-R-A-C-E-D-N-O-T-S-A-F-E-2-S-P-E-A-K-Yes. ?**

Roxas opened his mouth to protest, wishing he could ask what the Hell Ven meant by that, but getting enough of the message to know that this was precisely what Ven did _not_ want him to do. Instead he nodded, leaning forward in the chair.

“Yeah, you might wanna rest for a bit, Xion will make her appearance known and you’ll wake up when she bursts through the door.”

Ven shifted a little on the bed, as though he was getting ready to take a nap, then went back to his finger hovering.

**I-N-T-E-R-I-O-R-C-O-M-P-R-O-M-I-S-E-D-I-A-A-L-E-R-T-E-D-T-E-R-R-A-H-E-A-D-I-N-V-E-S-T-A-Q-U-A-R-E-C-R-U-I-T-E-D-+-M-E-F-I-L-E-S-S-H-O-W-G-U-I-L-T-B-U-R-I-E-D-O-N-S-E-R-V-E-R-U-N-C-O-V-E-R-E-D-B-Y-A-C-C-I-D-E-N-T- Yes ?**

This was a little more garbled, and Roxas tried forming the words with his mouth without saying anything. Irritated, Ven clicked on the **_“No”_ ** button, then started hovering to repeat his message again, but Roxas waved that aside, pulling up his burner phone and typing out a short reply in the phone’s notepad before showing it to Ven.

_Aqua already told me you thought you’d found incriminating files on the server. She said they were hidden and they’ve been looking for them. You think the room is being watched, and your touchpad is being tracked?_

Ven hovered over the **_“Yes”_ ** button again. Roxas sighed, then started typing again.

_Can you tell me where to look so I can let Aqua and Terra know?_

**_No._ **

_Is this about Kingdom Hearts? What is it?_

Ven smiled.

**S-A-F-E**

Roxas waited for more, but Ven didn’t move his hand again, and instead closed his eyes, looking worn out from the exchange. Roxas felt his heart threatening to set off the heart monitor from his seat by the bed, the blood pounding through his ears. Despite what Ven had said, he had to speak out loud again. This time, however, he felt more conscious of what he said and how it might be interpreted.

“Hey Ven, you know you can tell me anything, right?”

Ven cracked an eye open, giving Roxas that lopsided smile again. This time, he typed out his message without missing a beat.

**“** **_HAPPY BIRTHDAY”_ **

The opening door interrupted Roxas’ reply, and an explosion of blue ran into the room, almost knocking Roxas out of the chair as Xion gathered him up in a hug.

“HI!” she shouted, even as she moved from Roxas to (more carefully) engulf Ven in a hug. “Our plane got in early so we have more time to hang out while the dorks go help Namine set up and stuff so I made Axel drive me over as soon as we dumped our stuff at the apartment and now I’m here!”

Roxas gaped at her, all thoughts of interrogating Ven sidetracked by the vision of his sister.

“Your hair! What did you do to your head?” He managed at last, staring at Xion's now closely cropped style. She grinned, patting it down.

“Do you like it? I thought it was time for a change!”

There was a polite cough, and Roxas looked up to see one of the Turks standing in the doorway. “Your have an additional visitor, but there’s a strict limit--”

“I’m on my way out, no worries,” came Axel’s voice. Roxas stood and gave Ven a “this isn’t over” look, then ducked out into the hallway. Axel blinked, clearly surprised at Roxas’ sudden appearance.

“Oh, hey,” he said. “Demyx has the car right now but I’ll be back later to get you after visiting hours. I’ve got a couple of errands to run, stuff to pick up for tonight, but text me if you need me before closing hours. Oh, and I’m supposed to tell you that you’re not allowed to dawdle for more than 30 minutes when we get to your place, Namine’s orders. So, I guess I’ll see you in a couple of hours?”

“Y-yeah! Sounds good, thanks,” Roxas said, feeling a flush burn across his cheeks. The Turk coughed behind his laptop, but didn’t bother hiding the smile. Roxas cleared his throat and tried to ignore their audience. “I appreciate you bringing Xi over and coming back to pick us up, I owe you one. I’m looking forward to tonight.”

“Gonna be a night to remember, that’s for sure,” Axel laughed. “All kinds of exciting things coming your way! Tell Ven I said hi and I’ll see him on Tuesday, and that I’m bringing the charcoals this time.” He winked at Roxas, tipped an imaginary hat to the two Turk guards who were very deliberately pretending not to watch, then sauntered off down the hall.

That wink… Roxas cleared his throat again, pointedly did _not_ look at the two guards, then ducked  back inside with his siblings. Xion was in the middle of some elaborate joke, waving her arms around and gesticulating. Ven had managed a full smile this time, as well as a breathy laugh. Xion grinned as Roxas pulled another chair over to the bedside, then grabbed a hand from each of them.

“Ok, so, now that you’re both here, I have exciting news-- I mean, I sort of mentioned this last time but now it’s _official_ so I can talk about it, but the wildlife reserve where I’ve been doing my work study just won a huge grant, and Mr s. Triton said she was so impressed with my work that she asked me to join the team full time once I graduate. So... I’ve got a job!”

Roxas leaned over to give her a hug, feeling her practically vibrating under his embrace. Ven managed to give her a half-hug with as much enthusiasm and strength as he could muster. Xion continued on, grinning from ear to ear.

“The best part is that even though a lot of it involves fieldwork, the write-ups and reviews and all the boring paperwork can be done from anywhere, which means I can visit more often and just work from here or the apartment or wherever. As long as I clear it with Ariel, I should be able to come by at least once a month-- if you guys want me, that is.”

“Why wouldn’t we?” laughed Roxas, settling back in his chair. “I mean, we can’t promise exciting beach parties with models and famous movie stars each weekend, but we’d love to have you. AND I learned how to make a mac and cheese that doesn’t suck, plus it has veggies hiding in the cheese so you can pretend it’s healthy and everything.”

“ **CHSE NOT HEALTHY”**

“But it tastes good! And I didn’t burn it, so by the time you’re ready to come home I should be able to make, like…. three things. You always liked pasta, we’ll be fine.”

Xion sighed, shaking her head. “We don’t have time this visit, but NEXT time I am bringing you a cookbook and we’re going to spend a week making sure you don’t accidentally give yourself food poisoning. Oh! That reminds me.”

She snapped her fingers, then started digging through her purse, searching for something buried at the bottom of her bag. Roxas looked at Ven’s message on the tablet and scowled.

“I don’t care if pasta makes you fat, you’re gonna be doing physical therapy and I’ve still got practice with Cloud, so we’ll work it off,” he said. “And I’ll add a lot of frozen veggies or something, it will be-- no, they won’t be all cheese sauce, give me some credit. I know how to buy jars of marinara sauce, we can change it up.”

Xion gave a triumphant “aha!” and then grabbed their hands again, placing a small, hard object into each of their palms.

“Thalassa shells! It’s what we’ve been working on as part of the reef restoration project. These guys are our little champions, since they breed like crazy and leave behind a lot of really healthy nutrients for all of the plants and animals.”

Roxas peered at the shell, noticing the pale yellow gleam as he turned it back and forth in his hand. Ven’s had a sheen of green, and Xion pulled out a chain around her own neck to show off a purple-hued shell.* She’d tied cords around them to turn them all into pendants, clearly expecting them to wear them.

“I thought you guys might like to have a little slice of Island life while you’re stuck here in the city,” she explained. “And this way you can think of me, up to my elbows in muck, slaving away under the hot summer sun, and maybe then you’ll consider coming to visit _me_ sometime!”

“That’s really cool, Xi, thanks!” said Roxas, tucking the shell into his pocket. “I’m sure it’ll come in handy as a good luck charm-- maybe it’ll help me come up with a way to appease Leonhart when I tell him I need more samples for the game.”

“Ohh, yeah, Namine was telling me about the new features and music you added-- I wanna play it!” she said, dropping her necklace back under her shirt. She took Ven’s shell and draped it over a picture of the three of them, something small Roxas had brought from home for Ven now that he was more awake to appreciate stuff in the room. She took both their hands in hers again, beaming at them.

“So, what’s this Namine’s told me about art lessons?”

\---

They stayed by Ven’s side for a few more hours, but the morning’s tests and interrogation followed by the visit had clearly worn him out. Xion gave him a tight hug and a kiss before they left, promising to stop in again before they left so they could coordinate the next time she’d come up to stay with them. Roxas hugged his brother goodbye, promising to take pictures so he could tell him all about it, but Ven was already asleep by that point.

Roxas texted Axel to let him know they were ready to get picked up, and he and Xion waited by the curb outside of the hospital. As she chattered on about her work with the assorted fish and reef restoration efforts, he tried following along, but his mind kept falling back to Ven’s cryptic messages.

Did Ven honestly think someone had bugged the room? What did they think they could get from conversations with Roxas? Did Xemnas still think Roxas was hiding the files? He wished he _did_ have them so he could turn them over to Aqua and the Internal Affairs team to get this whole mess cleared up. Maybe then Ven could stop worrying about getting caught saying something he thought was dangerous and just focus on getting better.

He’d have to text Aqua, see if she could get him any more information about what Ven had found, and what they’d been looking for, and why the Hell they hadn’t found it yet. Was it a matter of encryption? A matter of figuring out which server it was on? Did they simply have no idea of what they were looking for and were going in blind? If that was the case, they should’ve asked him to ask Ven, he’d figure out a way to get the info-- even if someone was tapping the room and recording his responses, they’d figure out a way to make it work.

“So anyway, tell me about Axel,” Xion said out of the blue, snapping his attention back to her. She grinned, crossing her arms and leaning against the wall. “A little birdie said you had a crush on him.”

“A little birdie can mind her own business. He’s a friend,” he said, keeping his voice flat and hoping he didn’t blush or he’d never hear the end of it. “We’ve gotten closer in the last couple of months since he started hanging out with Ven, it’s been fun getting to know him again. You should talk with him tonight at the thing-- I think you’d like him. He’s not as obnoxious now that he’s not 15.”

“Mm,” she replied, clearly not impressed, so he decided to push back to get the conversation away from his lack of a love life.

“What about you? Any famous actors or models caught your eye at those parties? Do we need to have ‘the talk’?” He laughed, trying to imagine her sitting for that. “But Ven is older so I guess _he_ would actually be the one responsible for that, thank god.”

“Ok, one, that ship has already sailed,” said Xion, waving aside Roxas’ splutter. “Two, I don’t think he’s really up to that at the moment, and anyway, has he actually ever dated to have the experience needed to give me ‘The Talk’?”

Roxas tried to think back. Had Ven mentioned anyone at the office or at school? He couldn’t recall. “Mostly I think he just went drinking with office buddies,” he admitted after a minute. “But, wait ...seriously? Have you been holding out on me and dating on the sly? Worried that I’d come beat up your boyfriend for messing with my sister?”

She laughed, patting him on the cheek. “Please, we both know you wouldn’t do anything like that. I’m not dating, it was a one-time thing. I was curious, so I asked a friend to show me and that’s all there was to it. I wanted to know what it was like, now I do. Does that bother you?”

“No? But… you don’t think that’s weird?” He floundered, trying to understand her blase attitude towards something that he couldn’t even begin to start _thinking_ about… stuff... without blushing. There wasn’t even a hint of color to her cheeks. “That’s kinda… I dunno, it seems sort of detached to me.”

“Roxas, I’m a scientist. I’ve literally been hands-deep in reproductive fluids as part of my job for the last two years. We’ve spent the entirety of those years trying to get different types of fish to mate. And when I’m hanging out at beach parties with Sora, Riku, and Kairi, I’m surrounded by half-naked and sometimes fully naked pretty people. Sex really isn’t that big a deal--or I guess I should say, it’s not really a prerogative for me.”

“Oh,” he said, not really sure what to make of that. “...Did you want to date though? I mean, I can introduce you to a couple of people tonight, if you want.”

Hayner had once admitted that he found Xion cute, had been ecstatic to find out that she’d be coming over for the weekend and hanging out with them. Hell, he’d even introduce her to Seifer if she wanted him to, because if anyone could knock him down a peg, it was her.

...Unless she liked girls? He wasn’t sure if he could help on that account-- he only really hung out with Namine and Olette, and while he’d learned that Larxene was not quite as terrifying once you got to know her, he was pretty sure she was already seeing Marluxia. Or maybe Luxord, the barkeep? Or maybe both? He couldn’t quite tell, but he was pretty sure she wasn’t available.

Fortunately, Xion just laughed, shaking her head. “Maybe if I find someone who shares my level of enthusiasm for marine life and having fun, but honestly? Not that big a deal. I think it’s different for everyone, though. I mean, for some people, when they meet someone, they just know they’re the one, you know what I mean?”

Axel took that minute to pull up in Demyx’s car, honking the horn to get their attention and waving them over. They clambered in and he took off, heading off towards their apartment. Xion took the opportunity to ask Axel more about the venue and what the plans were for the night, but Axel remained cryptic, telling her to ‘wait and see.’

They pulled up to the apartment shortly after seven, but as Axel moved to turn off the car, Xion held out a hand to stop him.

“Hey Axel, can you give us a moment?”

He shrugged, turning the car back on to keep the radio playing. He reclined the seat and put his hands behind his head, looking for all the world like he was going to sleep. “Take your time, but if we’re late _I’m_ not gonna be the one to explain to Namine why.”

The twins made their way up to the apartment and when they stepped in, they had to navigate around a mountain of luggage. Roxas peered around the now cramped apartment, but it was far too quiet to contain Sora, let alone Sora plus two friends. “I guess they got a ride in with Namine,” he said, heading towards his room, but Xion tugged at his sleeve, pulling him back. When he stopped, she leaned in to give him a tight hug.

“I didn’t want to say anything in front of Ven or the others, but I’m sorry I left you all alone to deal with everything. I hate that you have to deal with everything on your own. Part of the reason why I’m taking this job is so I can come back and help you out.”

“It’s ok, Xi, really. You’ve been doing important stuff, and I’d be here anyway. It’s ok.” He paused. “It’s gonna be awesome to see you more often, but I hope we weren't the only reason you took the job.”

She waved that aside. “It’s an amazing opportunity anyway, I'd be stupid not to jump on it. But I was really worried about you, you know? I was afraid that I was gonna come here and you’d be sitting in this place all alone. I’m really glad that I was wrong.”

He smiled, giving her another hug. “I’ve been fine, Xi, really. It’ll be great to have you around, of course, but I’ve been ok. _Really_ good since Ven started getting better. You worry too much.”

“I just hate the idea of you sitting in the apartment all by yourself,” she said. He sighed.

“Despite what you might think, I _do_ actually have some friends and do stuff with them. I might not go partying every weekend and post crazy pictures of living the life of a beach bum--”

“Hey!”

“But I see people at school, at the hospital, and at get togethers with friends. I honestly don’t spend a lot of time in the apartment these days, which is good, except I should probably cut back on time with friends for focus on school stuff.”

“I guess I’ll meet these ‘friends’ tonight then?” she asked, finger-quoting “friends” with a wicked grin.

“Not if you’re gonna be all embarrassing and stuff,” he said. He pulled away, mindful of the time. “I need a quick shower and a change, do you need the bathroom before that?”

She waved him off, sitting down on the bed and rifling through her bags. “Nah, I’m just gonna change my shirt and call it a night. Hurry up, I’m gonna text Axel to let him know he can come up, because I _know_ you’re gonna take forever in there and there’s no reason two of us should be bored while you primp.”

\---

Roxas didn’t take _that_ long in the shower, but both Xion and Axel made remarks along the lines of “ _finally!_ ” as he made a quick dash across the hallway in his towel. Someone wolf-whistled as he shut the door behind him, and he leaned against it for support, pinching the bridge of his nose. He wasn’t sure what was worse, the fact that he didn’t know which one of them had done it, or the fact that he wouldn’t put it past either of them to tease him. He should’ve taken his clothes into the bathroom to change.

He toweled off as quickly as possible, digging around for the comfy cargo pants and light jacket he’d set aside earlier that day. Maybe leaving the two of them alone together without any supervision wasn’t the smartest thing he could’ve done. God knew what kind of mayhem they’d be able to get up to while he was out of the picture-- he’d _just_ cleaned the apartment top to bottom, so if they’d rearranged his furniture, there’d be hell to pay, party or not.

Axel and Xion were the picture of innocence when he finally came out of his room.

“Do I even want to ask?” he said, casting a quick glance around the room. He didn’t _see_ anything out of place, but for all he knew they’d gone through and switched all of the DVDs and cds in the media collection, or rearranged the drawers in his kitchen or something.

“We were just talking about you, remembering the good old days when all you did was tag along after him and Ven,” Xion giggled. “He also told me about the day you guys met up again. You didn’t tell me you threatened to call the cops on him.”

Roxas gave Axel an exasperated look. “You were _trespassing!_ ”

“I sent you pizza to apologize!” Axel said, but Xion cut them off before they could really start arguing.

“Ohhh, are we getting pizza tonight? Or does this place serve other stuff? I’m starving!” she said, effectively ending the debate and getting them out the door.

They got to the bar in relatively good time, all things considered. Luxord was in his customary place, acting as bouncer at the door. Roxas was pretty sure he could afford to hire an actual door guy, but having seen the man outside more often than not, he figured Luxord probably just wanted to take advantage of the smoking corner. He had his usual cigarette in his mouth as they walked up, and while he waved Axel in, he stopped Roxas and Xion at the door.

“ID?”

Axel sighed, stepping back out onto the sidewalk so he was on level with Luxord. “You know that tonight is their birthday.”

Luxord took a long drag from the cigarette, held his breath for a minute, then slowly exhaled, turning his head to blow the smoke away from the group. “Yeah.”

“And… You know that they’re turning 21, right?”

“I sort of figured that one out when you brought in all the balloons, mate.” Luxord grinned, taking another long pull on the cigarette.

Axel pinched the bridge of his nose. “So you know that you don’t need to card them because we won’t be letting them drink til midnight, right? Like, that’s the whole reason why we brought them here?”

“Still gotta card at the door, it’s the law,” Luxord drawled, but he gave Roxas a wink. “‘Sides, it’s tradition at this point.”

“It’s _fine_ , Axel,” Roxas said, digging into his pocket to pull out his ID. He dutifully handed it to Luxord, who scanned it as though he hadn’t looked at it each and every time the two of them had come to the bar for one of Demyx’s gigs. Luxord hemmed and hawed, but eventually handed the card back to him.

The process went much faster as Xion had already pulled out her id and held it out to Luxord without prompting. His eyes flicked down to the card, up to her, over to Roxas, back to the card, then back up at her.

“Cute haircut. Suits you,” he said at last, handing back her card and waving the three of them past.

“Too young for you, old man,” Axel warned, but Luxord just laughed, clearly unoffended. Roxas and Xion dutifully put their IDs away, and Axel shooed them up the stairs.

“Mind you don’t make a mess tonight,” he called after them as they slipped up the stairs into the main room. He took another pull on his cigarette, and gave Axel a wide smile. “Something tells me the kid’s gonna be a lightweight. $20 says he’s out by 2.”

Axel turned to quirk an eyebrow at the barkeep. “Dude, you _close_ at 2. We’re all out by then.”

“It’s an easy $20 then, isn’t it?”

Axel rolled his eyes and went up to follow the twins. Apparently Xion had already disappeared into the throngs of the assembled party goers, but he found Roxas standing in the middle of the room, looking around with a wide eyes and a slack-jawed expression. Axel came up from behind, placed a hand on Roxas’ back, and steered him in the direction of the table they’d reserved for the night’s festivities. As Roxas slithered into the decorated booth, Axel took a moment to appreciate the true meaning of Demyx’s promise of a “balloon palace.”

There were balloons…. _everywhere_. Every grain of wood that had surface enough to stick tape to it was holding two, three, and in some cases four strings for balloons. A solid wall of blue and gold created a floating barrier of latex a good two feet above the top of the booth, and, to fill in the gaps, Demyx had gone in and filled the spaces beneath with all sorts of mylar balloons, with everything ranging from simple birthday wishes to some rather x-rated handwritten good tidings, drawings, and well wishes.

Demyx bounced into the seat beside them a minute later, grin spread from ear to ear, dual wielding two drinks. He slid the cherry-filled concoction towards Roxas. “Shirley Temple!” he explained, and there was only a slight slur in his speech. He took a long pull at his own drink, then waggled his eyebrows. “Long Island Ice Tea,” he said, this time with a minor hiccup.

“So…. when I said ‘get balloons,’” Axel started, but Demyx cut him off, slamming his drink down on the table.

“Aren’t they the BEST???” shouted the definitely inebriated Demyx. He reached up and patted the closest balloon, causing a chain reaction of hollow bumping and plastic sounds as the wall of inflatables swayed over their heads.

“Demyx, this place is like a fucking bouncy castle. I’m not even going to ask how you managed to get this many balloons with 20 bucks, how you managed to cram them in the car, or how you are still alive after taping four dozen balloons to Luxord’s booth,” Axel laughed, stealing the drink while Demyx sat entranced by the quiet thump of balloon against balloon. Axel took a sip of the purloined punch, winced, then pushed it back towards Demyx.

“Who the Hell mixed your drink? My god, it’s like lighter fluid.” He paused, then grabbed Roxas’ still untouched glass and took a swig. He coughed, then pushed it back towards Demyx. “And _that_ is a Manhattan, most definitely not a Shirley Temple.” Demyx took the drink back, downed half of it, then closed his eyes, apparently to better taste the presence of alcohol.

“Tastes like one to me. I’ll get the almost-birthday-boy something else, though, no worries!” Demyx replied, and he dutifully took it back and slid out of the seat, taking both drinks off with him as he went to get topped off at the bar. Axel groaned, shaking his head, turning back to Roxas.

“That guy….” he laughed. “He’s a good guy. Kind of a moron sometimes-- like common sense stuff, he’s awesome at his job--but he’s a good guy.”

Roxas laughed, also somewhat entranced by the ‘balloon palace’ effect. “This is… I really don’t have words to describe this,” he said, but he returned Axel’s grin. “It’s a nice touch, though. You guys didn’t have to go to this much trouble, really.”

Axel waved that aside. “You only turn 21 once, so you’ve gotta celebrate-- responsibly, of course. That’s why I’m going to make sure you eat before midnight, but drink first-- you want your usual?” He slid out of the bar, then took a quick look around the bar. “Do you think your sister wants one too? Where’d she disappear to, anyway?”

Roxas pointed in the direction of stage. “I think she’s wrangling the beach bums and Namine-- oh, yeah, well, there’s two of them,” he cut off, waving an arm to catch Namine’s attention, and slid out of the booth as Namine and Xion headed over. He laughed as Namine hugged him close and gave him a peck on the cheek.

“Happy almost-birthday! And you’re on time and everything, I’m so proud of you!” she laughed.

“I’m hardly ever late,” he complained, but he kept an arm looped around her as he looked around the filling room. “Where’re Sora, Riku, and Kairi? And have Hayner, Pence, and Olette gotten here yet?”

“The latter three are on their way, they should be here in about half an hour or so,” she said, then pointed towards the bar. “And I think your cousin is trying to seduce Setzer, since he’s on drink duty tonight.”

“But… he’s 23,” Roxas said, turning towards the bar. He sighed. “He forgot his ID, didn’t he?

“No, he’s just trying to get extra paopu slices in his drink,” a rich voice answered, and Roxas grinned as Riku and Kairi walked over, drinks in hand. “Happy almost-birthday, Rox.”

“Hey guys! Thanks for coming,”  he said, greeting them with quick hugs. He turned back to Axel, gesturing to them both. “Did you get a chance to meet them earlier? Axel, meet Riku, and Kairi. They’ve been best friends with Sora since forever, and taught Xi and me how to swim when we moved to the islands.”

“So we’ve got a ton of great stories to tell you about both of them when they were awkward teens if you’re interested,” said Kairi, holding out her hand. “It’s nice to meet you.”

“I’ll be sure to take you up on that offer,” laughed Axel, then shook hands with Riku, too. “Roxas said you’re both models?”

“I mainly do stuff for the Ansem line for now, though I’ve been working towards breaking away to do my own thing,” Riku replied.

“And I’m more behind the scenes stuff, like makeup, props, and wardrobe,” added Kairi. “Working on photography, though. I think I remember Xion mentioning that you’re an artist? Which mediums do you use?”

“ROXAS!”

Roxas tripped forward as Sora bearhugged him from behind, knocking the wind out of him. When he got his breath back, he patted his cousin’s arm and pulled away, giving a breathy laugh. Sure enough, Sora had gotten his double paopu slices. No one, not even Setzer, could resist his puppy dog expression when he wanted something.

“Hey Sora, thanks for coming!” he said. “It’s been too long.”

“It’s been _forever_ since you visited, so I figured we oughta show you that traveling can go both ways-- but you’re coming to _us_ next time because we’ve finally built the boat, you can come out and take a ride! Hold on, I’ve got a picture on my phone,” Sora gushed, handing Roxas his drink to hold while he dug around in his pockets.

“It’s more of a raft than an actual boat,” corrected Riku, though he was smiling as Roxas made the appropriate noises of appreciation over the thumbnails on Sora’s phone.

“It floats, so it counts!” replied Sora, putting the phone back in his pocket. “Also, you’ve _gotta_ try that, Roxas, the guy at the bar really knows his stuff.”

Axel deftly plucked the glass out of Roxas’ hands before he could reply. “Ok, responsible adult intervention time; **No** , Roxas don’t drink that,” Axel said, giving the drink back to Sora. “Setzer probably made Demyx’s drinks and you saw what those did to him already. You need food first, plus it’s not midnight, so no cheating. Namine, you’re acting adult in charge while I go get appropriate drinks since _apparently_ Demyx got distracted.”

He turned to Namine, who gave him two thumbs up, and he disappeared towards the bar. Namine turned back to Roxas.

“Hayner said they’ve got the pizza, and yes, before you ask Sora, there’s an entire pie with paopu slices on it just for you. Xion, you’ve got a sardine monstrosity all to yourself, and Roxas, we all figured you’d rather have noodles like always, so we’ve got an order en route, plus dumplings and all the usual sides.”

“And ice cream cake tomorrow!” piped in Olette, joining the group. She hugged Roxas, then Xion. “It’s so good to see you! I’m glad you guys were able to come up. I’ve gotta get a selfie with you guys sometime tonight, when I told Yuffie I was gonna get to meet THE Riku she totally didn’t believe me.”

“Ah, sure, that’d be fine,” Riku agreed, but was saved from further comment by Axel returning to the group, handing out drinks to Roxas, Xion, and Namine. He nodded to Olette, who returned the smile, then he addressed the group at large.

“The guys have everything set up, so go dig in,” he turned to Roxas and Xion, jabbing a thumb over his shoulder. “Also, I heard from Cloud, he said the three of them will be running a little late, but they’ll be around later.”

“The three of them...? Wait, is Leonhart actually coming? Wow, I didn’t think he knew how to have fun,” said Roxas, falling in step with Axel as they all headed over to the food table. Axel laughed, handing him a plate and chopsticks.

“If you spent any time researching your professors instead of annoying them, you’d know that he’d friends with the members of _Garden_ \-- I think he played bass or something on their SeeD album,” Axel said, then paused. “He probably knows some of the other bands, too--I mean, Radiant Gardens isn’t that big, so he’s probably bumped into Yuna a couple of times, and I know he knows Tidus, which is a surreal party in and of itself.”

He laughed at Roxas’ dumbfounded expression, and nudged him towards the takeout. “Eat up! You’ve got a busy night-- all kinds of new discoveries and exciting revelations await.”

\---

The party booth was designed to seat about eight people, but somehow (mostly through Namine and Axel’s joint efforts) they managed to fit Sora, Riku, Kairi, Namine, Hayner, Pence, Olette, Xion, Roxas, Axel, and Demyx into the booth. They might’ve been able to fit another few people in, but the balloons around the table made a sort of barrier around them, sectioning the party away from the rest of the bar.

They spent a long time catching up, trading stories from the city and the islands, passing around photos of things they’d been doing, talked of things they planned to do on their next school break. Sora and Axel hit it off right away, rekindling old acquaintances by trading blackmail stories about the twins and Ven, while Olette, Kairi, and Namine talked shop about art and the stuff they were learning. Xion was describing the reef rebuilding efforts to an enthusiastic Demyx, while Riku and Roxas chatted about dealing with overbearing mentors who meant well, but stifled creativity.

They were all lost in their conversations until a clipped voice cut through the chatter, more or less ending all discussions.

“Demyx! You were supposed to be backstage ten minutes ago!” Larxene glared at him, and only softened her gaze slightly when she looked at Roxas. “Happy birthday, kid.” She turned back to Demyx, who held up his hands in surrender.

“Two minutes! I just wanna give them their birthday presents before I forget!”

He was stuck in the middle of the booth, so he just sort of slithered under the table and popped out on the other side, holding up a hand to stop Roxas and Namine from moving. He dashed off towards the back room, an irritated Larxene following in his wake, but reappeared a few minutes later with a large box and a gift bag. He slid the box across the table at Xion, and leaned across the table to hand Roxas the bag.

“Happy birthday!” he said, grinning at them both. “Sorry I can’t make lunch tomorrow, gotta work tomorrow night. And Setzer’s promised to keep the drinks coming, so I wanna give these to you before we go live, cause I’ll probably forget afterwards. Open them!”

He practically bounced where he stood, so Roxas dutifully reached a hand into the bag, and pulled out.. A bag. It felt like a bag of flour, but it was unlabeled and in a generic package, so he cracked it open to see what was inside. It was filled with a powdery blue substance, ground so fine that it seemed to glisten in the low light. Roxas looked up at Demyx, waiting for an explanation.

“Sniff it!” encouraged Demyx, and Roxas stuck his nose close to the mouth of the bag, then took a cautious sniff. A grin broke out across his face.

“Is this…?”

“Sea salt ice cream coffee creamer!” supplied Demyx. “You’re always drinking coffee and you’ve got a champion’s stack of ice cream sticks at your apartment, so I put my old barista skills to the test and made Axel my guinea pig while I played around with the flavors. Axel swears it tastes like the real thing--” he looked over to Axel, who nodded and gave Roxas a thumbs up since he was in the middle of eating, “-- and I made it with a non dairy base so you won’t get sick.”

“This is amazing, Demyx, thank you!” said Roxas, genuinely touched by the thoughtful gift. If it tasted half as good as it smelled, he was gonna have to get the recipe from Demyx, because there was no way this was going to last.

“Me next!” said Xion, running a finger along the box to tear off the paper. She pulled off the lid, pushed aside the tissue paper, and pulled out….

“A gun?” Roxas asked, frowning as Xion turned it over in her hands. It wasn’t any kind of gun he’d seen before-- nothing like the practice handguns or revolvers they had in the advanced training areas of the Academy, because he didn’t know a cop alive who’d be willing to walk around with a bright blue weapon. Xion grinned, reaching into the box to pull out the second part of the gift.

“A _glitter_ gun!” she giggled, loading the tube of blue glitter into the chamber. As she sighted along the barrel of the gun, the people around the table inched away from her, hoping she wouldn’t actually use it on them.

“I didn’t know what to get you so Axel said something fun and I was going to the party store to get the balloons and I saw this and thought you couldn’t get more fun than glitter!” Demyx said. He looked over his shoulder, flinched, then turned back to face them. “Larx is getting kinda angry, I’ve gotta go change. Use it while we play!” he called to Xion, then hurried off to the backstage area.

Roxas turned to Axel, surprised. “They’re playing tonight?”

Axel grinned, playing with his straw. “We’ve still got three hours to kill til midnight, then the party _really_ starts. What did you think we were gonna do, play spin the bottle?”

Roxas flushed, wondering if he could do the ‘slide under the table and escape’ thing, too. Xion beat him to it, though, making her way to the front of the table and aiming her new toy at them.

“Everyone close their eyes and don’t breath for a sec, I wanna test this baby out!” Annnnd that was all the warning they got. There was a loud pop!, a quick burst of air, and a feeling of dust settling on skin. Roxas cracked open an eye and saw that while everyone had been hit to some extent, she’d been aiming directly at him. He didn’t even want to think about what he looked like.

He glared at her, shaking off glitter from the napkin from his lap so he could try to wipe as much as possible off of his face. “Really?” he asked.

“It’ll wash off, don’t be so grumpy!” she said. “You’ve got this sort of blue glow about you now, it’s very fetching.”

“I’m pretty sure Demyx cleared it with Luxord already,” cut in Axel. He grinned. “Go wild, and live your dreams.”

“You’re probably going to regret that,” said Riku, though he was smiling fondly as Xion headed off towards the stage. “If she’s this excited about it now, she’s going to be a nightmare after alcohol. Everyone will be sparkling by the end of the night.”

“No worries, he only gave her one tube, so she’s gotta conserve it for the perfect shot,” laughed Axel. He slid out of the booth, brushed off the light layer of glitter he’d gotten, then pointed towards the stage. “They’ll probably start playing in a couple of minutes, and I dunno about you guys, but I am in the mood to _dance_.”

And dance they did. Roxas appreciated the fact that Demyx’s set did not include his personal, ah, _guilty pleasure_ song, and kept his eyes firmly fixed on people’s faces, melting into the the sway of the music as the band got underway. Xion did manage to get him again with the glitter gun, but he retaliated by giving her an enormous hug, successfully transferring a good amount of glitter back onto her. Even the band got a dusting, but, true to Axel’s word, she ran out before she could do much more damage. She settled for hugging people instead, which is probably why Aerith, Cloud, and Squall were sparkling when they stopped by the table later on.

They wished him a happy birthday and chatted for a bit before disappearing into the crowd. As they left, Axel reappeared before him, holding a tray of shot glasses, a bottle of bright yellow liquid, and a small box with a bow on top. He placed the tray on the table, then handed the box to Roxas.

“Figured I may as well give your gift to you now, since you’ll probably be busy for the rest of the night,” he said over the low roar of the bar. “But open it later, once you’ve had a couple of shots, because we are two minutes to midnight, and I’ve got a bottle of lemon vodka with your name on it.”

“Lemon, huh?”

Axel unscrewed the top of the bottle and started pouring shots in preparation. He gave a shrill whistle to assemble the rest of the group, then turned his attention back to Roxas.

“This stuff tastes like lemon drop candy and I’ve never met anyone who doesn’t like it. We’ll start you off with some sweet stuff and then work our way into less fruity stuff later on. Although you _do_ need to try one of Luxord’s paopu milkshakes, they’re fucking fantastic.”

“Uh, milkshake?” Roxas asked, accepting the shot as Axel passed out others to the gathering group.

“I had him get non-dairy stuff, relax,” Axel said, “and trust me, you’re gonna like it.”

Xion slid in beside Roxas, accepted a shot glass from Axel, then laughed, nudging Roxas with her shoulder.

“Don’t look so nervous,” she whispered. “We’ll make sure you don’t drink too much and get home safely. Just have fun tonight, ok?”

“Y-yeah,” he said, cleared his throat, then said a little more confidently, “Yeah. Yeah, the night’s been a lot of fun so far, hasn’t it?”

“Alright, you two ready?” Namine asked, holding up her shot. “Happy 21st birthday, Roxas and Namine Lux! Here’s to a new year of happy adventures and new beginnings. Happy birthday!”

The table collectively clinked glasses, then threw back the drink. Roxas coughed a little at the burn, but he had to admit, it did indeed taste like candy. Axel watched him, and held out the bottle.

“Another?” he asked, and Roxas grinned, holding out his glass.

“Yeah, bring it on!”

**\---**

 

Lemon vodka was good. Strawberry vodka was pretty good, too. He wasn’t too big on watermelon vodka, and the ‘birthday cake’ flavor was gross. Fireball burned, but Axel and Demyx assured him that was the point.

But Luxord’s paopu milkshakes were _transcendent_.

Two glasses later and Roxas suddenly understood his cousin’s obsession with the fruit, and vowed to not tease him as much when he tried putting it on everything in the future. Of course, that might’ve been the alcohol seeping into his bloodstream, too. He was feeling very, _very_ relaxed. And kinda tired. But that didn’t stop him from getting up to dance each time the _Heartless_ group played off and on throughout the night in micro jam sessions, and he’d heard it was bad luck to refuse a shot on your birthday, so he sort of just… danced and drank his way through the night.

He was sitting in the booth and catching his breath when Axel sat down next to him.

“How’re you holding up?” he asked, drinking what looked like fizzy cranberry juice. Roxas sipped more of his own… he wasn’t sure what it was, but it was good, so he took a nice long drink before he replied.

“Good! A little overwhelmed, it’s been a lot of booze today. I wasn’t s-sure what to expect,” he admitted. He grinned. “But I couldn’t have asked for a better birthday party, thanks for p-putting it together,” he said, hiccuping again.

Axel laughed, then held out the small box again. “Since you didn’t get a chance earlier, figured I may as well open your gift now, while you might still remember getting it.”

Roxas carefully took the box, and spent the next few minutes trying to open the paper without fumbling it too much. Axel bit back a laugh, he could tell, but Roxas didn’t care. He just focused on the box and then the lid, then opened it up to look inside.

“It…. paint?” he asked, squinting at the black liquid as it rolled around the bottle. Axel laughed, taking the bottle from him and turning it, slightly, to show the little black bug thing that denoted it was from the _heartless_ shop.

“It’s _ink,”_ Axel corrected, handing it back to him. He rubbed the back of his neck, flushing a little at Roxas’ frown. “I mean, you’d mentioned a couple of times now that you’d thought about getting a design done, so I thought I’d offer my services—or Hell, if you want something pretty, I’m sure Marley could do up something nice if it’s above my level. I just thought, you know, sort of a choose-your-own kind of gift, might be something cool to do since you’re 21 and all now. Not that I see you as someone who’d get a drunken tattoo, I just…. If you’re not interested, it’s ok, I had a backup plan if you didn’t dig the whole art thing.”

Roxas laughed as Axel sort of rambled, and carefully laid the ink back in the box so as not to accidentally drop and break it. Then, he moved the box away from the edge of the table in a slow, deliberate movement.

“That’d be amazing, Axel, thanks! You’re ma-mazing,” he stumbled, laughing a little more and collapsing against the red head. He reached up to pat Axel on the cheek and the only reason why he didn’t accidentally punch Axel in the nose was because the artist had been watching his movements, catching his hand and curling long fingers around his to drop his hand safely back against his chest.

“Heh, I’m glad you liked it. We can talk designs later, once you’ve had a chance to really think about it,” he said, helping Roxas back into a sitting position. He grinned down at the blonde. “Something tells me that you’re not going to be up to much intense thinking for the next couple of days.”

Roxas grinned, then reached over to pick up his abandoned milkshake to clink his glass with Axel’s.

"I’ll drink to that!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Couple of quick notes:  
> 1\. Personal head canon: I always think of the Thalassa shells as coming in different colors-- sort of like coquina clams (google them, they’re lovely!), so although Kairi went out of her way to look for shells that all had the same pattern, there were a bunch of other colors she could’ve used, too. In this story, at least, we’re gonna go with that. :p
> 
> 2\. If you're reading "There is a Crack in Everything" along with this fic, there's a short fic ( **[The Life of the Party](http://archiveofourown.org/works/12300699/chapters/29010879)** ) that immediately follows this chapter from Axel's point of view. However, due to spoilers for the punchline of Chapter 9, if this is your first time reading the fic, wait til you finish the next chapter before reading it. ;) 
> 
> As always, you guys are an inspiration. Thank you! <3


	9. Every Heart to Love Will Come (Explicit)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is brought to you by the letters C and E. C for condoms, E for ~~Everyone!~~ **EXPLICIT.** You’ve been warned, friends.

The morning came too early, too loud, and far, far too bright when Roxas finally managed to rouse himself from sleep. He was on his side with his head propped up against the headboard, an unfamiliar and uncomfortable position since the sun had a direct shot through the slits in his blinds into his sore, puffy eyes.

He could dimly hear noise coming from the kitchen, so apparently at least one other person had made it home alive. That, or he'd woken up in the middle of a robbery. If it was robbers, he hoped they would keep it down so he could wallow in agony in peace. His mouth was dry, and oh god, his head. Movement was beyond him at the moment, so he concentrated on making the rest of his room swim into focus as he tried to remember how he’d made it home last night.

Oh god, last night. From the hazy recollection of the night before, he’d had a _really_ good time, but what he’d been doing once the drinks started, precisely, well… that eluded him at the moment. So much music. So much alcohol. So many balloons. He tried remembering more about what he did and who he talked to, but he kept coming back to the damn balloons. How had Demyx managed to get that many into the room? How had he convinced Luxord to let him decorate the bar? How many shots had he actually had last night, and who had paid for them? These were just a few of life’s little mysteries.

As he puzzled that through, the small table by his beside swam into focus. A glass of water materialized from the dark smudges of the room, and a small bottle that looked like it was painkillers or aspirin or something sat beside it. When he had enough clarity to move his arm, he would reach out to grab them and figure out how to sit up enough without making himself sick so he could get them down. Maybe if he just moved really, really slowly, he wouldn’t fall out of bed.

Fifteen minutes later, after some very slow, very deliberate movements, he’d managed to sit up, grab the drink and the pills, and got them down with relative ease, considering how dry his throat had become. Now that he was waking up and his head wasn’t swimming quite as much, he could focus on more strenuous tasks, like putting the glass _back_ on the table.

As he did so, his hand bumped into a box that had been set behind the glass. He couldn’t remember putting anything there, but then, it looked like there was a bow or something on top, so maybe it was a gift someone had given him last night and he’d just dumped it there to deal with when he woke up? He groped forward and grabbed it, bringing it closer so he could read the label.

Apparently, someone had bought him condoms.

And not just any condoms, premium grade, lube-coated, extra-strength condoms that would withstand hours of intimacy, 100% satisfaction guaranteed-- if the box’s packaging was to be believed. Roxas sat unmoving, trying to see if the text would reshape itself and it wasn’t just his hungover brain coming up with weird, random shit the morning after a night of heavy drinking. He blinked, using his other hand to scrub at his eyes.

No, he hadn’t misread the box. That was definitely a box of condoms, and it was definitely presented, well, like a present. Unless…. Someone had used an old box as a gag gift, and the real gift was inside? Hopefully there was a card, too, so he could quietly pull that person aside and ask what the ever loving fuck they were thinking.

Feeling a bit more confident, Roxas opened the box, gingerly pulling back the panels to see if-- yeah, no, those were definitely condom wrappers, so it was legitimately a box of condoms, not a gag gift box afterall.

Who the hell would buy condoms and leave them on his bedside table? Sora? Somehow, he couldn’t quite picture his cousin going to such great lengths to play a prank when he wouldn’t be around to see Roxas’ reaction. Riku, or maybe Kairi? He couldn’t see either of them doing anything like this either, this particular type of humor didn’t seem like their sort of thing. Xion might’ve done it, except she would have handed them to him outright and told him to his face that she thought he needed to get laid.

...Did she give them to him last night and he’d just forgotten? Granted, a lot of last night was pretty hazy (balloon fortress aside), but somehow he felt that if she’d gone to enough trouble to make a scene like that he’d have some sort of memory.

He pulled out one of the packets, still half-believing that this was some sort of gag gift, and maybe, just maybe, it was like… candy or something. Because who in their right mind would buy him condoms? Like… seriously, who? He had no reason to _need_ them, and everyone close to him knew it, too.

He had to open one, just to hammer the final nail in the coffin and verify that yes, this was in fact a box of fully functional condoms and not some weird adult gag birthday gift disguised in an elaborate ruse of wrappers. He tore open the foil and stuck his fingers in, pulling out…. a condom.

A fucking _large_ condom.

He stared at the thing in his hand, wondering if he should be pleased that someone thought he was so well endowed, or worried that apparently there were people out there who would be able to wear it comfortably, or jealous that he was not among their number. The thing had at least a half inch on him on a good day, both in length and girth, and there was no way he’d be able to use them without some serious slippage-- if he had any reason to use them at all, that was.

Embarrassed, he crumpled the wrapper and its contents into a ball, wrapped them loosely in a tissue, then threw it out. Whoever had given him the box would have to speak up, because he sure as hell was not going to go out there and ask who had bought him the box and what their intentions were. The box itself he tucked into a drawer-- he’d dispose of them later, once his house guests were gone and less likely to spot them in the garbage.

And speaking of… a slight rap at the door had him closing the drawer a little more quickly than he’d meant to, which alerted Namine to the fact that he was, in fact, awake. She popped her head into the room, lights from the living room spilling into the darkness. He squinted, holding up one hand, and she quickly narrowed the opening, whispered “Happy birthday!” then retreated back into the living room, shutting the door behind her.

Roxas fell back on the bed and groaned into his pillow. Maybe starting his birthday celebrations by dancing for three hours before he started drinking midnight hadn’t been such a smart idea after all. Mental note to self: don’t do that again… at least without taking better precautions against migraines.

A hot shower, a greasy breakfast, and a painkiller-eased hour later, Roxas was no longer wincing when he walked into a bright room, and the vertigo subsided as he made tentative, small steps around the apartment. Fortunately, he wasn’t the only one still reeling from the night before.

Sora and Riku oozed off of the couch around ten, and it was actually heartening to see that yes, even professional models could look like they’d been run over by a dump truck early in the morning--not that Riku looked _bad,_ he just was a little scruffy around the edges, which made Roxas feel a little better about not bothering to shave before emerging from the bathroom.

It was also the first time he’d ever seen his cousin look legitimately grumpy. Sora actually said something _mean_ to Riku when the taller boy said something about him being a drama queen, but Riku just laughed it off and gave Sora an affectionate peck on the forehead before ambling over to help Namine with breakfast. And Sora being Sora, once he’d woken up a bit more and realized what he’d said, apologized profusely for it.

Kairi fared a little better, but the sunglasses and large bottle of water betrayed her dehydrated state, and her unhappy moan at the sight of food was completely relatable. She did have the benefit of stealing an extra twenty minutes of sleep while Riku and Sora fought over the shower, so she was a bit more refreshed by the time the second round of breakfast was ready.

And his sister…. Well, Xion seemed to be missing, something Roxas was sure he’d be alarmed about once his head stopped pounding. He peered into Ven’s room, frowning at the empty sleeping bag on the floor. Xion hadn’t left a note or anything, and when he texted her to find out where she was, she simply said she was out shopping and would see him at lunch. How the hell had she woken up so early AND in a functioning state? It baffled the mind.

Since Namine had been the sober driver and had gone home to sleep in her own bed, she alone looked like her normal self. She walked on tiptoes around the group as they all groaned in varying states of hangovers, refilling glasses of water and tutting about their conditions. She was in her element, launching into full “mom friend” mode and trying to get everyone back up to mostly human levels of functionality.

When he stopped staggering around and had more or less regained full fluidity of movement, Roxas pulled her aside for a tight hug. “Thank you for everything,” he mumbled into her shoulder.

“Roxas, you goof,” she giggled, returning the hug and then freeing a hand to pat him on the head. “Drink your coffee, because you’ve got a busy day ahead of you!”

Fortunately, because it was his birthday, he got to _choose_ how he spent the first half of his day. He decided that his busy day would start with a few more hours to recover in the darkened apartment while Sora, Riku, and Kairi headed out with Namine to visit Ven. He begged off shopping with Namine while the beach bum trio were at the hospital with Ven, saying he’d probably have a much better time that afternoon if he had a chance to recover at his own pace, rather than fighting the sun and stumbling around from shop to shop.

Namine relented, telling him she was only letting him get away with it because it was his birthday. He saw them off with a tired wave and the promise that he’d be up and about and ready to go as soon as they got back.

With the rest of the morning to himself and nowhere to go til the afternoon, he knew _exactly_ what he wanted to do to help him feel better on this fine birthday morning. He shifted the luggage away from the closet, pulled out his vacuum, and spent a good hour cleaning the apartment, because he’d spent a lot of time getting stuff cleaned up for his guests, and how the fuck was there glitter _everywhere_ in the apartment, dammit?

He cleaned up the living room, kitchen, bathroom, and both bedrooms as much as possible, although he still caught the occasional glint of metal out of the corner of his eye. It would be _months_ before he’d be able to get rid of the damn stuff, he knew it. Mental note to self: kill Demyx when he saw him next.

As he cleaned his room, he very carefully did NOT open the drawer of his bedside table. That… that was something he didn’t want to have to figure out right now, or even deal with. He just kept cleaning, focusing on hunting down every last fleck of glitter and definitely _not_ thinking about who the hell had bought him condoms.

Because really, the only person who’d remotely shown any interest in him was Axel (maybe? He still wasn’t sure about that, despite Namine’s assertions that his crush was mutual) and Axel had already given him a gift. The bottle of ink sat on his bedside table next to the bottle of aspirin, the note from Axel tucked carefully underneath. _That_ , at least, was something safe to think about.

Axel was good-- really good, if the picture he’d seen of his ‘repair’ work was any indication-- and Roxas liked the works he’d hung around their apartment. It would probably be better to let Axel do his thing and take over the design process with only minor input from Roxas-- Roxas trusted him to come up with something fitting, since he knew what Roxas liked and what would look best in his style. Maybe he could get it once the semester and everything else was done? It would be good to have something to look forward to. He’d have to talk to Axel later to see if they could set something up-- he didn’t want to interfere with the upcoming show.

By the time they’d swung back from the hospital to pick him up, Roxas was feeling better, and the apartment had only the suggestion of a sparkle, and most of that was from polish, not cheap munny store glitter. He’d washed his sheets, although they still had a bit of a metallic sheen to them, it was nowhere near as pronounced as it had been. He’d managed to drink three more bottles of water and banished his dry mouth completely, scrubbing his teeth for a minty fresh finish. And he’d changed out of his grungy t-shirt and PJ pants to some actual clothes, so he felt more or less like an actual person again, minor headache twinges aside.

As they headed towards uptown, Sora regaled him with how their visit had gone. By all accounts, Ven was in a pretty good mood today, feeling better and even joking with them a bit, challenging Sora to a typing contest. Apparently Ven was still faster and more accurate, even one handed, so Sora had promised to spend more time practicing by typing emails to Ven. And Ven had seemed interested in Skype calls, especially if they could wrangle Xion in on them, so Sora had told Ven that Roxas would get it taken care of.

Roxas would, of course. He just found it hilarious that Sora thought it was as easy as waltzing in with a computer to the secured and guarded location on a whim-- clearly he needed to spend more time dealing with red tape and internal office politics to see how ‘quickly’ the force was at getting equipment approved. Still, if he asked Zexion…. It was food for thought, anyway.

Hayner, Pence, and Olette were already waiting for them at the restaurant, looking no worse for wear after the party last night. After several cheerful greetings of “Happy Birthday!”, a hug from Olette, and fist bumps from Hayner and Pence, they idled outside of the building, waiting for the rest of their group to show up. Roxas could remember enough of the night before to thank them for their gifts again-- a gift card to the ice creamery from Olette, and a new Struggle bat from the guys (plus a call for a rematch whenever Roxas had an afternoon free.)

As they talked, they took the opportunity to take in the Hightown view of Sunset Terrace. He’d only been to this part of town a few times since they’d renovated it-- this was usually where the politicians and bigwigs gathered, but Namine assured him that it wasn’t all posh and snooty establishments. The views inside the restaurant were supposed to be amazing (which is why Namine had suggested it), but the view from the patio outside of the restaurant was nothing to sneeze at, either. Roxas leaned against the railing and took in the valley of Radiant Gardens as he had never seen it before.

From there, they could look out and see the hospital, the school, even the military and government buildings, all nestled within streets lined with mature trees and shrubs and flowers. There was the park overlook with the monument for the victims of the MAKO attacks, but he hadn't ever gone up the steep slope to see it. Roxas imagined the view from this place was incredible at sunset-- similar to the overlook by the train station, but with just enough additional height to take in more of the distant horizon. There were clouds far off in the distance, but he was willing to bet on a clear day you could look off into the distance and see the sea. He’d have to come back one day to see if he was right.

They’d started talking about just going inside to wait for Xion and Axel to show up when the hum of a familiar motorcycle purred up the street, and Roxas turned to see Axel park his bike and Xion jumped off and headed towards them with a spring in her step. Axel followed at a slightly less exuberant pace, looking a bit flustered, but given that he’d probably been dealing with Xion for the last hour or so, Roxas couldn’t blame him. Xion would be enough to throw anyone off their game if they weren’t used to her blunt and sometimes overly inquisitive conversations.

With the entire group there at last, they headed in for one of the best lunches Roxas had ever had. The food was good, but the company was what made the meal. For dessert, apparently one of Namine’s shopping stops that day had been to swing by the ice cream parlor to pick up a sea salt ice cream cake. (They’d also picked up a chocolate, migraine-inducing cake for Xion, since apparently she had yet to acquire a taste for Roxas’ new go-to comfort food. He forgave her. She would learn.)

As they were chatting over half-eaten slices of ice cream cake, Roxas debated the merits of another slice of ice cream over a slab of Xion’s chocolate monstrosity. Namine, however, broke into his serious internal debate with a plain envelope waved in front of his face.

“Ok! Part two of your present is in here, since it’s sort of relevant to lunch today,” said Namine, handing the small envelope to him. He took it and pulled out a card cut into the shape of a Cup of Noodles container. She’d taken a thick red marker and drawn a large X across most of the picture, and penned “NO MORE NOODLES” underneath.

“What's this?” He asked, turning the card over to see if there was more information on the back. She’d written a short ‘Happy Birthday’ message, but there was nothing to explain the strange card. She laughed.

“So, I was planning to take a cooking class up here anyway and then it dawned on me that you _also_ need cooking lessons. I figured it would be more fun if we did it together!” she said, pulling another sheet of paper out of her purse and handing it to him. A list of six classes focused on different types of cuisines outlined what he was apparently going to be doing Friday nights for the next two months. “We're not going to be in school that much longer so we should upgrade our cooking skills too. Think of it as a joint effort into learning how to adult.”

He smiled at that, though he let out a dramatic sigh. “Is this your way of saying you don't like my ramen surprise dish?”

She giggled, patting him on the top of the head. “Well, it's certainly always a surprise when you make it.”

He laughed, giving her a hug. “Well, even though you’ve insulted my fantastic cooking and adventurous tastes, I’m really looking forward to these, thank you.”

She grinned, then clinked the side of her glass to get the rest of the table’s attention.

“Ok! So, Roxas needs to make a quick stop to drop off his cake at the apartment, but if you guys wanna come over, the pool is open and available for anyone who wants to go for a swim, we’ve got movies, I’ve cleared off the back porch if you guys wanna play with the Struggle bats, _and_ …” she drummed her fingers on the table, then giggled, “you remember what we did for your 18th?”

“Pillow forts and spooky stories!” Sora cut in, clearly back to his usual levels of hyperactivity. “Ah man, you had the best setup. It’s been aaaaaaages since we did that.”

Axel coughed, not quite covering a laugh. “You...built pillow forts to celebrate your 18th birthday?”

“And now for our 21st, apparently!” laughed Xion, standing up and stretching. “Ok! Roxas, you go with Axel and take the ice cream to the apartment, the rest of us will go over to Namine’s and get the place set up, because napping in a pillow fort sounds _amazing._ ”

“Shouldn’t we take the cake to Namine’s so people can eat more if they want it?” asked Roxas. Not that he minded taking the cake back to the apartment, but he knew that they wouldn’t remember to take it out later, and they’d leave him with half an ice cream cake that he would, in fact, manage to eat on his own. It might take him a couple of days, but the cake would be gone, and then he’d have to go hit the gym and work out even more because of the guilt of finishing the cake--

“I can see you angsting about the calories already. Relax,” Axel cut in, picking up the box and tucking it under his arm. “We’ll cut the thing in half when we get to your place and bring most of it to Namine’s for tonight, but save you two or three slices. It’s your birthday cake, and Xion can’t take hers back on the plane with her. If there’s stuff left over, I can take a slice to Dem, and you can ask Aerith about bringing some to Ven. Ice cream is good for the soul, you know.”

“Yeah… yeah! Ok,” agreed Roxas, standing up and tucking Namine’s card into his shirt. He turned to Namine, “You want me to bring any movies or games or anything?””

Sora spoke up before Namine could reply. “The only games we’re playing is Struggle, then drinking games!”

Roxas went a little green, remembering his headache from earlier that morning. “Maybe not the drinking games, I think... Maybe no more alcohol for…. ever again.”

“But you had such a _good time_ last night!” teased Xion, but Namine cut her off before she could elaborate on her phrasing.

“Anyway, we’ll meet you there! Axel, the ice cream is melting, you’d better go!” Namine said, pushing Xion off towards her car. Sora, Riku, and Kairi picked up their things to follow behind them, While Hayner, Pence, and Olette headed off towards their car.

“Don’t be too long, you two!” Xion called back before she was pushed out of sight. Roxas watched after them with a frown, then shook his head. He looked over at Axel and shrugged.

“I dunno what she thinks we’re gonna do. Sorry, Xion can be pretty weird sometimes,” he said, deciding not to let her odd behavior get to him. He held out his hands for the cake box. “Anyway, should we get going? It looks like it is starting to leak a little.”

“Ah, sure,” replied Axel, sounding a bit distracted as he stared off towards where the others had disappeared. He blinked, refocused on Roxas, and smiled. He held onto the box and nodded off in the direction of his bike. “Go ahead and get the helmet on, I think I’ve got a takeout bag or something in the storage compartment. I just wanna get a bag for this so it doesn’t get everywhere while we ride and then we can head out.”

While Roxas geared up, Axel rifled through the compartment on his bike, quickly dumping the contents of one bag into another, pulling the now empty bag over the cake box. Roxas reached in to move the other bag and help stow the cake, but Axel waved him aside, quickly closing the box and clicking it closed.

“Are you sure the cake won’t mess up the stuff that’s in there?” Roxas asked, thinking about how much of a pain in the ass it would be to wipe out the inside of the box. “I don’t want to accidentally ruin anything. We can ask the people at the restaurant for ice or something.”

“Nah, the stuff in there is specially coated against all kinds of liquids, they’ll be fine,” reassured Axel, straddling the bike and patting the seat behind him. He turned as Roxas climbed on behind him. “So, I’ve gotta ask-- were you pulling my leg about the pillow forts thing?”

Roxas laughed, shaking his head as he grabbed onto Axel’s shirt, shifting into position.

“Full disclosure-- and if you sell this to the paparazzi I will deny telling you this-- but Riku makes the _best_ hideouts,” Roxas said. “Kairi and Sora help him make them, but Riku’s the brains behind the operation. If he ever gets bored being pretty for a living he’d probably be a master craftsman or architect or something.”

Axel turned on the bike, but idled, trying to peer back and see if Roxas was pulling his leg. “Wait… seriously? I mean, no offense, but he doesn’t seem like the type to get his hands dirty.”

Roxas shrugged. “Trust me on this. You’ve never seen anything like it in your life. For our 18th, he managed to build in compartments and hung lights inside and everything. It was quite a feat.”

\----

Later that night, they sat huddled at the small kitchenette table, the lamp over the kitchen sink giving them just enough light to see their mugs. Soft snuffling sounds filtered in from the other room, coming from somewhere under the pile of bodies stacked inside the “hideout.” Roxas looked over in their direction as Sora’s sleepy voice complained about someone’s foot in his face, but if he got a reply, it was lost under the muffled effects of the blanket fortress. He chuckled, turning back to Namine and Axel.

“I hope you’ll forgive me for this, but does it make me a terrible person if I just leave them here and head out?” he asked. “I’m getting kinda tired.”

His head still sort of hurt from this morning, and while it had been a good day, he was looking forward to the promise of waking up to a quiet apartment. He loved his cousin, but even in his sleep Sora managed to be loud and energetic. He didn’t envy Kairi or Riku, although they’d known him so long and were with him so much that they were probably used to it. And besides, if he got too loud Xion would put him in order-- no one disturbed her beauty sleep without paying the consequences.

“You don’t have to go, Roxas. The couch has plenty of room,” whispered Namine, although it was hard to see the couch in question through all of the blankets of Riku’s master-crafted pillow fort. Roxas let out a quiet laugh, shaking his head.

“I don’t think I’d get much sleep if I tried climbing in there at this point,” said Roxas, feeling a little guilty about heading out, but knowing that if he stayed he wouldn’t get _any_ rest. He slid off the stool and walked over to the sink, rinsing his mug before putting it in the dishwasher. Namine got off her stool as well.

“I know, but you know you’re always welcome,” she said, patting his hand. Namine turned to Axel, who sat staring into his mug, deep in thought-- maybe he was reading tea leaves or something. “Axel, can you take Roxas home?” Namine asked, interrupting his musings.

“What am I, a taxi driver?” Axel asked, but he stood all the same, heading over to catch up with Roxas. Namine gave them both hugs, patting Roxas on the shoulder as she looked over the massive fortress of blankets and pillows that had taken up her basement.

“Don’t worry, I’ll take care of them,” she promised. She gave him a quick peck on the cheek. “They’ve gotta help clean this up tomorrow anyway. Go home, get some rest. I think Sora mentioned another Struggle match tomorrow, so you’re going to need to be at the top of your game.”

Roxas turned to Axel. “You don’t mind driving me back?”

“Nah, I was thinking about heading home soon anyway,” Axel admitted. He winked at Namine. “And I wanted to escape cleanup duty.”

“Get out, both of you, before I change my mind,” she said, shooing them up the stairs and towards the front hall. “I’ll catch up with you tomorrow morning, ok? Happy birthday, Roxas.” She gave him another kiss on the cheek and a tight hug, and even hugged Axel goodbye, then ushered them out the front door. She stood waving on the porch until they’d gone through the gates and were on the road towards Roxas’ place.

It took them a bit longer than usual since they had to take a detour through the city-- yet another construction project, road work or something. Given the Public Works’ enthusiasm for road work and repaving projects it was hard to keep track of all of them, and while Roxas appreciated that yes, riding over freshly paved streets was very nice, it would have been even nicer to have gotten home sooner. Maybe he’d call in to complain about it at some point, if nothing else to ask them to actually _finish_ the damn roads before they started new construction projects.

As it was, it took them what should have been a 30 minute drive almost twice that time. It was pushing midnight as Axel pulled up to the curb and Roxas slid off, swaying a little as he got to his feet. Midnight wouldn’t usually be an issue, given that it was a weekend and he usually stayed up for at least a few more hours, but with the excitement of the day and the lingering grogginess from the day before, he could feel weariness seep in. He wasn’t sleepy, not really, but hanging out with such energetic people always sapped his own reserves, even when they were asleep. A quiet apartment was looking better and better.

He turned to say goodnight and thank Axel once again for the gifts and the ride, but paused when he saw Axel’s face. Axel looked similarly worn out, leaning heavily on the front of the bike as Roxas peeled off his helmet. He was staring off into space again, distracted, and for a moment, Roxas considered yelling at him for driving in the first place when it was clear that his attention was elsewhere.

What came out was “It’s gonna be a pain in the ass to get back to your place. Just park your bike and crash here for the night.”

Roxas hadn’t actually meant to invite Axel up, but the offer slipped out because he knew that Axel had at least another 20 minutes to get home, and that part of that was back through the construction zones, which could mean double commuting time again. And it wasn’t like he didn’t have the room-- with everyone else gone, there’d be plenty of room to crash, so long as he didn’t mind a little glitter. Axel seemed to have the same thought, grimacing as he stared down the street. He looked back at Roxas, hesitating.

“You don’t mind?” Apparently he knew he shouldn’t be driving any more tonight, too, and the relief in his voice only strengthened Roxas’ resolve.

“Nah. There’s plenty of room, especially since everyone is staying at Namine’s.” He smiled, gesturing up towards his apartment. “Granted, my place doesn’t have a pillow fort, but I do have some leftover ice cream cake in the freezer.”

“Sold,” laughed Axel, and eased the bike closer to the curb, parking it and grabbing a few things out of the storage compartment before following Roxas up to the apartment. After spending a day with people who had no grasp of the concept of ‘inside voices’, the apartment was blissfully quiet. Roxas kicked off his shoes and gestured for Axel to have a seat as he headed into the kitchen. He opened the fridge and looked inside as Axel made himself comfortable on the couch.

“You want a drink or anything? Bowl of ice cream cake?” he asked, pulling out a mug and filling it with water for himself.

“I’ll skip the ice cream for now, thanks. But yeah, whatever you have cold to drink would be great,” Axel called, kicking his feet up on the coffee table. Roxas came back into the room and handed him a bottle of soda. Axel raised an eyebrow as he took it. “Seriously?”

“I woke up with a migraine and only left to go out to lunch and Namine’s for most of the day, cut me some slack,” Roxas retorted, sitting down next to him. “I haven’t even been legally allowed to buy booze for 24 hours yet.”

“Relax, I’m kidding, this is perfect,” said Axel as he popped off the cap. He clinked his bottle with Roxas’ mug. “Cheers.”

They sat in companionable silence for a bit. Roxas thought back over his adventures the past two days, from his god-awful hangover migraine to Ven’s strange messages, and ice cream with everyone while they watched the sunset together. Xion’s big news the day before, and the engineering feat of blankets and pillows coming together when almost everyone building the thing was drunk. As far as birthdays went, it had been a pretty great day.

“So, have you thought any more about your gift?” Axel asked, voice light, interrupting Roxas’ thoughts.

Roxas blinked, focusing on Axel’s face for a minute before he lowered his gaze again, digging into his pocket. Axel watched Roxas out of the corner of his eye, leaning back against the sofa and stretching his arms up over his head before clasping them behind his neck. Roxas smiled as he found his prize, and pulled out the crumpled note.

“Yeah!” Roxas replied. He unfolded the note and looked down at the message again. He pressed the folds flat and smiled, admiring it once again.

“I was thinking it might be cool to do something to do with fencing, or maybe coding, or, I dunno, a key cause of the Academy, you know? Although, I do like your heart designs, so maybe something with that?” He smiled at Axel, who finally met his gaze. Roxas flushed, looking away. “I mean, I have time to figure it out, right? And you’ll help me decide which one is best?”

“What? Yeah, of course, there’s no rush. Whenever you know what you want you just say the word, or we can sit down and design something together.” Axel shifted, then cleared his throat. “I actually meant your _other_ present.”

The emphasis on _other_ made Roxas start, and he looked back up to see Axel grinning at him. Roxas felt the heat rise on his face and he scratched the back of his neck, unable to hold Axel’s intent stare.

“Y-yeah, I’ve been trying to figure it out all day,” he admitted, making a mental note to give Namine a stern talking to when he saw her. He didn’t need _Axel_ to make fun of him for some gag gift too. Maybe it wouldn’t be so mortifying if he knew where the box had come from and he could just laugh it off as a joke. He stammered on, “I just can’t think of who would give me something like, uh, like that.”

Since he was not looking at Axel, Roxas didn’t notice the red head’s slight shift of expression. He did, however, see Axel unfold his legs from off of the coffee table, and felt the weight on the couch shift as Axel leaned forward.

“You really don’t remember much of last night, do you?” Axel asked, and when Roxas shook his head, Axel burst into laughter. “Oh man, I know you’re a lightweight, but wow. Nothing? Really? That… actually explains a lot about today. We’re gonna have to work on your tolerance levels, man.”

Roxas frowned, picking up a pillow and intending to whack Axel with it. Axel caught it mid-swing and chortled into it, even as Roxas sat back into the couch to sulk.

“Sorry for never drinking that much before, I told you I didn’t know how long I’d last!” Roxas huffed, and sipped from his mug. Then he paused, dreading the answer but knowing that he had to ask. “W-why? What happened?”

Axel practically cackled, and used the pillow to deflect further attack. “Oh man, Roxas, you get very _affectionate_ when you get drunk.” He grinned at Roxas over the top of his shield. “It’s ok, really. Happens to the best of us.”

“Oh my god, is that why people were giving me weird looks today? Do I even want to know what happened?” asked Roxas, lowering his mug with a weighty thunk onto the coffee table.

“Relax, it’s fine,” laughed Axel, holding up a hand to fend off another attack. “You were just having a good time and got very, ah, friendly.”

Roxas glared at him, waiting for more information, and Axel flushed a little, scratching the side of his head.

“We were sitting at the table talking and, I dunno, one thing led to another. I asked you if you were seeing anyone.” Axel coughed, looking a little sheepish, but the grin remained. “You told me that yes, you were, and I was gonna drop it at that but then you said-- _and I quote_ \--‘I’m seeing you right now.’ And then you sort of climbed over the table and proceeded to try to make out with me. Like I said, you were _really_ drunk.”

As those words sank in, Roxas had the detached thought that it was strange to feel how quickly deeply blushing cheeks could go bloodless. He groaned and leaned forward to hide his face in the cushion, then wrapped his arms around his head, trying to curl into the couch and maybe suffocate himself so he could finish dying of embarrassment and he wouldn’t have to face anyone else ever again. Axel patted his back, laughing.

“I wasn’t really expecting that kind of response but it’s fine, you didn’t damage anything,” Axel promised. “Really! I was flattered! And Luxord only complained when you tried to stick your hands down my pants, so we cut you off and brought you back here, made you drink a shit-ton of water, and then tucked you in. I think we got most of the glitter out of your hair, too, and Xion stayed by you to make sure that you didn’t drown in vomit while you slept.”

“Oh my goddddddd,” wailed Roxas, face still curled into another pillow. “I am so, so sorry, and I am never drinking again.”

Axel shrugged, picking up his drink and relaxing back into the couch again. “Like I said, no harm done. Even Larxene felt a little bad since she was the one who kept plying you with drinks. She usually doesn’t let it get that far, especially when Setzer’s mixing the stuff. In hindsight, maybe we should’ve just had Luxord handle all the drinks.”

Roxas continued to groan into the pillow, wishing that there was a way to sink into the floor, and maybe just go ahead and bury himself six feet under so he never had to look anyone in the eye again. A nagging thought made him pause, however, and he peeked out from his cushion to look at Axel.

“Wait, so that box…” Axel raised his eyebrows and grinned, taking another drink. Roxas lowered the pillow further still, trying to piece together the clues. “You bought me condoms and put them on my bedside table?”

The grin grew. “Well, I did kinda ask you out last night and your reply was very enthusiastic, so I thought I’d reiterate my interest.” Axel chuckled, and gave Roxas a quick wink. “Happy birthday! Sorry if it weirded you out.”

Roxas blinked at him. “…Really?”

“What really?”

“You really asked me out?” Roxas asked, some of the blush returning, but he was a little relieved to see a faint dusting of pink on Axel’s cheeks, too.

“Well, yeah. I mean, we’ve been hanging out a lot, right? And, it’s been really good, you know?” Axel flushed a little darker, scrubbing the palm of his hand over his face before moving his hand to rub the back of his neck.

“Like, it sucks that we had to meet up again because of everything that’s happened, but I’m really glad we got the chance to reconnect, you know? You’ve become a really close friend. And since you never told me off all those times I flirted with you I thought maybe the feeling might be mutual, so yeah I asked you when we sat down and, well, yeah.” Axel grinned. “I thought you trying to stick your tongue down my throat was a good indication of your level of interest.”

Roxas moaned again, and stuck his face back into the pillow. He muttered something into the fabric, muffling the sound, so Axel leaned forward. “What?”

“I SAID…. They won’t fit, they’re too big.” Roxas tried to bury his head back into his pillow, but Axel pried it from him, taking one of Roxas’ hands in his.

“See, that’s why I would make awesome boyfriend material. I don’t presume these kinda things and I’m _always_ prepared,” Axel said, and reached into the plastic bag he’d dropped at the foot of the couch. He pulled out another box of condoms and shook it-- apparently they came in different sizes. “Ta-daaa!” he sang, and placed the box in Roxas’ open hand. Roxas stared at it, squinting at the description.

“They come in _flavors?_ ” he asked. Axel chuckled, and another box appeared from the bag, which he placed on the table in front of Roxas. Apparently Axel had picked up lube, too.

Roxas picked up that box, too, feeling the burn spread across his cheeks. He wasn’t sure what made him more embarrassed, the news that he’d more or less accosted Axel in an attempt to make out last night, the realization that Axel had apparently not only reciprocated the feelings but had thought about the possibility of them pursuing that interest enough to purchase these things and prepare for whatever else might follow, or the fact that he could already feel himself getting pretty excited at the thought of what _whatever else_ might be and his pants were starting to get a bit uncomfortable.

The thing was, Axel didn’t seem all that embarrassed about any of it-- nervous, maybe, if the way he chewed the bottom of his lip was any indication-- but he was smiling, too, and he still hadn’t let go of Roxas’ hand. So, Roxas tried to force himself to be as nonchalant about it, too. He cleared his throat and forced himself to sit a little taller.

“Yes,” he said. Axel tilted his head, a half smile still on his face.

“Yes…?” he asked, drawing it out, and Roxas let out a breath he hadn’t realized he’d been holding.

“Yes, I’ll go out with you,” he said more confidently than he felt. He gave Axel a shy grin. “Since, uh, it sounds like I didn’t actually verbally state my interest last night.”

Axel responded by leaning over and giving him a kiss.

About 5 minutes later, Roxas was straddling Axel’s lap, grinding against him for all he was worth. His shirt was halfway off his chest and his pants were now _most definitely_ uncomfortable and tight, and somewhere along the line Axel had lost his jacket, shoes, and socks. Roxas was fumbling with the buttons of Axel’s jeans, trying to figure out how to shuck them off without breaking body contact. Axel’s own hands were busy, one sliding under the shirt up so he could run fingers down Roxas’ chest and sides. The other was firmly planted on Roxas’ butt, kneading and guiding Roxas harder against him.

Roxas decided that, while a quiet apartment was a nice way to end the day, an apartment with Axel making those little noises on his couch and the mystery of his birthday present resolved was the best birthday wish he could’ve asked for. Then Axel shifted beneath him, pulling away to draw breath.

“Hey,” Axel panted, putting his hands on Roxas’ hips to hold him still. Roxas stopped his attentions on Axel’s neck, but Axel simply slid his hands farther along, cupping Roxas’ butt and pulling him closer so he could whisper in his ear. “I hope you didn’t chuck the other box,” Axel said in panted breaths, “because they’re a perfect fit for me.”

Roxas laughed into Axel’s shoulder. He felt light-headed and tingly all over, and he knew the smile on his face would be hard to hide when he met with everyone again tomorrow, but it didn’t matter because Axel _liked_ him and he had the most amazing hands and they felt amazing and Axel’s kisses made him want to move, to feel more and see what else those hands and mouth could do.

“They’re hidden in my room,” he admitted, suddenly glad he’d forgotten to take out the trash this morning during his cleaning frenzy.

Axel grinned, giving Roxas’ butt another appreciative squeeze, “Ok, so, since you’ve formally accepted being my boyfriend--”

“Is that what that was?” laughed Roxas, still trying to catch his breath.

“Do you think I make a habit of making out with every cute blond I meet in a bar? Gimme a break,” Axel replied, but he grinned at Roxas’ half-hearted protest. “Anyway, I just wanna say that I’m gonna be completely honest with you and I’m not gonna hold stuff back, because secrets have a nasty way of coming around to bite you in the ass. If you want something from me, or if I’ve done something to piss you off, don’t give me any of that passive-aggressive shit. I’ve gotta know what’s going on so we can work stuff out.”

“O-ok,” agreed Roxas, although he could already feel the secret promises he’d been keeping curl even farther into himself, hiding away from the light. Those secrets weren’t his to tell. Ven’s computer files wouldn’t come into play, and Aqua’s secrets were her own to tell when she thought it was safe. There might be other, lesser secrets that could unfurl in time, but he wouldn’t put others in harm’s way, just to get guilt off his chest.

Axel grinned, and he drummed long, slender fingers along the base of Roxas’ spine. “So that said, I’m gonna come right out and ask, have you ever been with a guy before?”

“N-no,” Roxas stuttered, feeling the burn flare across his cheeks. Not that he hadn’t already been flushed and increasingly warm from the kisses and touches, but he hated admitting it, because what if he disappointed Axel? What if he was terrible, and Axel decided to put some distance between them so it wouldn’t happen again? He could already see the long afternoons spent in silence, sitting next to a listless Ven, the only noise coming from his computer or the beeping machines in the hospital room.

Roxas jumped as he felt Axel tilt his chin back to face him. “See, this is what I’m talking about. I can _see_ your brain coming up with something that’s bugging you, and if you don’t tell me what it is, we can’t work through it.”

 _We_. Roxas flushed, savoring the idea of that idea. _We_. “I don’t, um. I’m not really sure if--”

“Dude, the condoms were just a gag gift. We’re not gonna do anything you’re uncomfortable with,” promised Axel, shifting his hands off of Roxas’ ass and dropping them to either side so Roxas could escape if he wanted to. “I’m not gonna try to pressure you into anything. Whatever we do, we agree to it, even if it means just watching terrible movies and eating popcorn on the couch. I like you. I’m gonna do everything I can to make sure that I don’t do anything that will make you dislike me.”

Roxas sighed, irritated that his inability to articulate what he wanted made Axel think he was a prude. “I’m not uncomfortable with it. I like you a lot, too, and I want to-- uhm, do things,” he protested, not quite able to come out and say it, since sex wasn’t really anything he’d spent a lot of time thinking about-- not ‘til he’d realized he had a thing for Axel, anyway. Or rather, until Namine had _told_ him that he had a thing for Axel because apparently he was too oblivious to figure it out on his own.

He flushed when he saw Axel’s familiar confident grin return. He wondered if all relationships were this embarrassing, or if he was just so inexperienced that it just came naturally to him. “And I wanna do a lot more than cuddle on the couch-- I mean, if you want to!” he said, hastily adopting Axel’s communication and consent rule, “but I just… I’ve never really had any relationships, and I don’t wanna mess stuff up and disappoint you because I have no idea what I’m doing.”

“If it’s with you,  then I won’t be disappointed,” Axel promised, then paused, tilting his head and scratching his chin for a minute before he continued. “And, ah.. Well, I don’t really know how to say this without sounding like I’ve been around the block a few times, but I _do_ know what I’m doing, so I can help with the unfamiliar stuff.” His smile widened. “Plus, in any relationship, stuff is always new in the beginning, and that’s what makes it fun! You get to learn more about that person, see what they like, what they want, and you just sort of… I dunno. You find what works, and what doesn’t, you know? And it’s good. And when it’s not, you get to laugh about it later and try again.”

“Can you, um--” Roxas stopped and bit his lip, still inwardly reeling at the revelation that Axel seemed to have feelings that were just as strong for him, and also a little bit embarrassed by how _much_ he liked Axel, and how quickly his body warmed to the idea of doing things he’d never done before with a guy he’d only really known for a few months.

But… it was his _birthday weekend_ , dammit. And Axel had bought stuff in anticipation of sex, which, at the very least, offered an opening to talk about the possibility of it happening. Granted, a few months ago he probably would’ve been super creeped out at the idea of someone buying him condoms and bringing them over on an unplanned sleepover without ever having gone on any official dates because he was definitely not a one-night-stand kind of guy, but… it was _Axel_.

They’d been hanging out for months now, and even if they hadn’t said anything overtly romantic (well, _he_ hadn’t, although apparently Axel’s teasing really _had_ been flirting), they’d clearly been thinking about each other along the same lines. And it really wasn’t the idea of sex that made him nervous as much as it was the worry that he’d come off looking stupid in front of Axel, who already said he was willing to give it a try and keep trying til they got things right.

He took a deep breath, let it out, then made up his mind.

“Would you show me how to properly use my birthday presents?” he asked.

Axel pulled him down for a long, surprisingly gentle kiss. When they broke apart, Roxas panted. “So, was that a yes? Communication, remember?” Axel laughed, moving his hands back to Roxas’ butt to slide him further into his lap.

“ _Yes_ ,” was the very enthusiastic reply.

“Oh, good,” Roxas said, still feeling the ghost of Axel’s lips against his own. “Because if you weren’t I was gonna have to leave for a bit to take care of things.”

“Maybe I can help with that?” suggested Axel as he slid one hand onto Roxas’ thigh, his long thumb brushing against the inseam. Roxas sucked in a breath, resisting the urge to grind against it, opting instead to rest his hands on Axel’s shoulders to steady himself. Axel took the opportunity to lean in and kiss the juncture of Roxas’ neck, landing little nibbles along the sensitive flesh. Fingers toyed with the top of Roxas’ jeans, but they didn’t go any further.

“You wanna do this here, or…?” With reluctance, Roxas pulled away, wriggling off of Axel and the couch, holding out a hand to help him to his feet. Axel snagged the two boxes as Roxas led him out of the living room and back into the bedroom. As they walked into the room, Axel pulled Roxas back to him, leaning over to kiss him. Roxas lifted up on tiptoe to return the kiss with enthusiasm, and Axel broke it with a chuckle.

“So, I’m happy with whatever you want to do,” he said, placing the boxes on the side table by Roxas’ bed. Roxas flushed, ducking his head, and reached over to pull out the drawer, extracting the box with the bow on top. He fumbled with the lid until he managed to pull out a packet, and handed it to Axel, feeling his blush deepen.

“I don’t know what I’m doing, remember? I think it would be better if you lead.”

Axel leaned forward to plant a kiss on his forehead as he took the packet. “Ok, that works. Just lemme know if you want me to stop or do something else and we will.”

But he didn’t open it right away. He set it on the table beside the other boxes, then guided Roxas to the bed so they were sitting facing towards one another. Axel pulled him in for another kiss, gentle, teasing, tongue running over Roxas’ lips and darting inside when Roxas opened his mouth.

As they kissed, Axel took the opportunity to slide his hand under Roxas’ shirt again, running long fingers along goose-pimpled flesh. Roxas shivered under the touch, holding onto Axel’s knees as one hand slid up to play with a nipple while the other slid lower, dipping into the hem of his jeans. Roxas gasped into the kiss as he felt a playful pinch.

“H-hey!” he yelped. But turnabout was fair play, so while Axel might try teasing him, his neck was at a perfect level for retaliation. Roxas leaned in and latched on, pulling down the collar of Axel’s shirt to leave his own gift at the junction of Axel’s neck and collarbone.

Axel chuckled, leaning back and out of reach. “Don’t think I don’t know what you’re doing,” he chided, but then he reached down to pull off his shirt altogether, leaving the top of his body bare and clearly offering it up as fair game. Roxas paused, though, temporarily distracted by the full expanse of Axel’s skin.

“Oh… _wow_. Do you mind if… can I touch?” he asked, following the patterns with his eyes.

Axel laughed again, tossing the shirt across the room. “Touching would be _awesome._ Knock yourself out. _”_

Roxas leaned in and ran his fingers along the tattoos, appreciating the artwork for what it was, but also enjoying the sight and feeling of Axel’s twitches as his fingers brushed over sensitive skin. He’d seen parts of the artwork that curled around Axel’s arms, before, although most of the work had been covered by long shirts and jackets. Now that they were exposed, Roxas could follow the delicate flames that started at his wrists and burned their way up his forearms. Within the whorls of fire were familiar images-- the hearts Axel drew for his clients; spiked, circular wheels wreathed in flames; a small heartless figure, peeking out from one of the fans of fire, and--

“Is that ice cream?” Roxas asked, half choking on a laugh. As much as he’d really like to focus on giving Axel a hickey on the pale skin at the base of his throat, the small blue bars hidden within curling flames kept drawing his eye. He leaned in, squinting at the delicate line work, and confirmed his suspicions--they even had ‘winner’ sticks drawn in. He looked up at Axel, a laugh caught between his teeth. “ _Really?”_

Axel shrugged, grabbing at Roxas’ shirt, trying to bring him closer again. “I _like_ ice cream. And I had space. I figured, why not?”

“Nerd,” chuckled Roxas, leaning into Axel’s tug and coming in for another kiss. Axel grinned into it, following Roxas’ movement by pulling at the shirt even harder, exposing access to Roxas’ stomach. He whistled, running long fingers down Roxas’ navel.

“Dude, I thought you were a code monkey, where the hell did you get abs?” Axel asked, tracing a finger along the lightly defined muscles and making Roxas twitch under the attention. Roxas grabbed his hands, trying to stop what could easily turn into a tickle attack that would completely kill the mood.

“ _Fencing_ ,” he sighed, wondering if he should drag his shirt back down. But then Axel might think he wasn’t interested and back off, and he really didn’t want to stop, so he decided to change tactics. He leaned back, took off his own shirt, then leaned in close to kiss Axel again, hoping the proximity would make it harder for Axel to find his vulnerable spots. Axel’s hands returned to Roxas’ hips, though, and his fingers were long enough that he could still brush against Roxas’ stomach.

Unwilling to risk the discovery of his weak spot, Roxas took the initiative, climbing further into Axel’s lap and drawing Axel’s face down for a long, lingering kiss. This seemed to do the trick. Axel’s hands left Roxas’ hip and went back to his butt, effectively scooting him closer to deepen the kiss. The movement made his crotch slid along Axel’s thigh, and he gasped at the friction of it, his body inadvertently rocking with the movement, drawing him flush against Axel, who hummed a little at the close contact.

One hand left his rear and moved to the front, brushing up against the increasingly tight front seam of his jeans. Axel let out a breathy laugh, teasing the zipper of Roxas’ pants. “Want some help with that?”

Roxas grunted and lifted his hips in response, a regretful move that tore him away from the heat of Axel’s body, but made it easier to unzip the front of his pants, which brought some relief in and of itself. Axel pushed down the pants further, exposing Roxas’ boxers and planting a playful nip on the skin beneath Roxas’ belly button, eliciting a yelp from the surprised blonde. He felt the grin against his stomach as Axel helped him shuck off the pants completely, and the trail of fingers along the tented outline of his erection. They stopped at the band of his underwear, waiting, apparently, for his consent to go on.

“Axel,” he pleaded, pressing up against Axel’s hand and reaching down to pull off the fabric himself. Axel complied with the moaned request, helping Roxas remove his underwear and leaving him exposed to the cool evening air.

Roxas shivered, unused to the position and being naked in front of someone without some sort of shower curtain or towel to shield himself from view. Axel made a noise in the back of his throat, though, and Roxas could feel the hum of it against the sensitive skin of his inner thigh. Axel’s hands spanned the entirety of his backside now, and Roxas wasn’t sure if he wanted those hands there, or in front, or somewhere else on his body.

Then Axel brushed a finger across his entrance, sending shivers down his spine as his hips reacted with a jerk. Ok, well, that answered one question. Axel did it again and Roxas whimpered into the touch, biting his lip in an attempt to keep some of his dignity. Axel chuckled, pulling back.

“One sec, the lube will make it better,” he promised, and Roxas leaned back against the pillows, listening as Axel tore open the box and squirted a healthy glob of gel-like substance on two fingers. Then his fingers were back-- cold, and Roxas flinched a little under the touch, but as Axel applied it, Roxas could feel the heat begin to build. Then, Axel slipped a finger inside and he hissed, his body instinctively clamping down against the intrusion. Axel paused in his ministrations, leaning forward to give Roxas a quick kiss.

“Breathe,” he advised, murmuring the words into Roxas’ cheek. “Try to relax. If I’m hurting you, though, lemme know and I’ll stop.”

“Don’t stop,” panted Roxas, forcing himself to breathe and using his fencing cooldown method to relax his muscles. The tension around Axel’s finger lessened, and when Axel curled it ever so slightly, Roxas felt a fluttering in the back of his stomach, making him gasp and shift against the touch. Axel pressed a kiss to his collarbone, anchoring him in place.

Another finger slid in beside the first, and Roxas squirmed under the added pressure-- not from discomfort, far from it. He could feel the heat of the gel loosening tightened muscles, and the flexing, scissoring motion Axel did with his fingers had him writhing. Roxas’ fingers tangled in the sheets, his breath coming in short gasps.

Axel withdrew the two fingers, sliding out and reaching back for more lube as Roxas brought up his pillow to moan into it. Axel tugged it away, grinning.

“Don’t keep it in and muffle it. Go wild. It’s more intense if you do,” he promised, then bent to plant a light kiss on Roxas’ stomach. “Besides, I wanna hear you.”

Then the fingers were back, cool again with the additional lube, and Roxas gasped, bringing up his hands to clutch at Axel’s shoulders as the long fingers circled him once again, pushing upwards and in, scissoring and pressing against him. A third finger pressed in, opening him further, as Axel’s other hand came forward, lightly stroking Roxas’ cock.  Roxas let out a whimper, tightening his grip as Axel found a particularly sensitive spot.

“You want me to stop?” asked Axel, voice rough, but he stilled, the fingers pulling away as the other hand left his cock. Roxas let out a whine.

“N-no! Keep going,” he protested as his body tried to clamp down around Axel’s fingers. He tried to pull Axel closer, back into position, but Axel shifted farther away after planting a quick kiss on Roxas’ shoulder.

“Hang tight, I’m just gonna get the condom,” he promised, and Roxas heard the crinkling rip of foil being torn open, felt the bed shift as Axel shucked off the rest of his clothes. He watched with open curiosity as Axel slid the sleeve in place (he hadn’t been exaggerating when he said they fit him perfectly), then applied more lube to his fingers. True to his word, Axel leaned in again, resuming his ministrations and adding the third finger again, continuing to stretch him and work him looser.

“A-Axel,” Roxas whimpered, relishing the feel of the slowly warming gel, and the heat of flesh against flesh as he finally felt the press of Axel’s length against him. Axel grinned, then leaned back on the bed, pulling Roxas along with him so that Roxas was on all fours above him, hands to either side.  

Axel withdrew his fingers, pulling a shudder from Roxas as he pushed back and met Axel’s raised thighs. He watched Axel apply one last glob of lube, this one dribbling down his shaft before a few quick strokes spread it out to an even coat. Roxas felt his body tighten as he watched, and he almost cried out in relief as Axel touched him again. Axel shifted him a little to get him better positioned, then helped him ease into position, guiding his hips back and down. There was an initial pressure against his entrance, a slight stretch, and then Axel was inside, sliding up in a slow, shallow thrust.

It was… odd. It wasn’t uncomfortable, per se, thanks to Axel’s thorough preparations, but Roxas was aware of the solid heat of it as he inched his way down slowly, and the way his body twitched around the intrusion. He eased down a little further, the stretch getting a little more uncomfortable, but it wasn’t hurting, and he could feel something at the base of his belly that grew as he pushed further and further back, and he thought that it would probably feel even better if there was more pressure against it, or better yet movement. Things seemed to be going well, and Roxas let out a his breath, easing some of the tension out of his body and relaxing into the slow, steady press.

Axel didn’t move much, although Roxas could see him biting his lip, and felt the cock inside him twitching, muscles beneath him trembling to move, to thrust, to build a rhythm. But Axel was watching Roxas’ reactions, focused on making sure that they didn’t rush, and the look on his face was so intent, so earnest, that Roxas let out a breathy laugh, taken off guard.

As he shifted his kneeling position above Axel, his foot caught in one of the sheets, then slid out from under him. Even though he reached back to grab Axel’s knees for support, the movement sent him backwards and down, and he froze, his body protesting the very sudden, very unexpected, very large intrusion of a cock now completely sheathed. He forgot to breathe, unsure what to do as suddenly he found himself in things -- quite literally-- up to his ass.

As Roxas stopped dead, Axel apparently panicked, scrambling to try to help him disentangle from the sheets while trying to pull back his hips to withdraw. “Shit! Sorry, I didn’t mean to--” but Roxas grabbed the hands at his waist, fingers digging in.

“ _Don’t move,”_  he hissed, breaths coming in fast and hard, body still clenching and protesting against the sudden intrusion, even as another part of him wanted to press farther back, to see if it would be easier the second time. They stayed in that position for a few moments while Roxas caught his breath, and Axel lay motionless beneath him, not wanting to cause any more discomfort. When Roxas felt his muscles begin to ease and adjust, he focused back on Axel, whose eyes were still so wide and face so pale with concern that Roxas actually laughed, although that kinda hurt a bit, too.

“I think,” he said in slow, measured breaths, “that maybe this is not the best position to start with. Maybe we can try another one?”

“You want to stop? Or maybe switch?” Axel suggested, and while Roxas knew he was being offered a way out, he shook his head.

He flushed, biting his lip and looking down. “I don’t think I’m ready for that yet.” He shifted a little, his body sending a slight shiver of pleasure through him, and he let out a breath, feeling Axel’s body react to the movement as well. “I think a different angle, maybe where you have more control?”

He gingerly pushed himself up and off, then sat back on his haunches, trying to ignore the odd burn and emptiness as Axel’s cock slid out of him. Axel sat up as well, reaching forward to cradle Roxas’ face in his hands and apologize with a kiss. Roxas responded enthusiastically, pressing himself against Axel to let him know that he really did want to continue. When they broke apart, Axel took a few steadying breaths.

“So, ah, if you lay on your back you don’t have to do much, we’ll mostly need to figure out position,” he said. “Or you could get on your knees and we could try from behind. That angle usually feels, um, deeper, since everything lines up, more or less.”

“Definitely deeper,” replied Roxas without hesitation. His body protested the loss of contact, his own cock feeling heavy and hard as he tried to envision the position, remembering the stretch and wanting to feel more.

“‘K,” agreed Axel, voice quiet but amused. He gave Roxas another kiss, then moved him to face away, shifting him into a position until he was on his knees, head and shoulders resting in the bed while his butt stuck up in the air. Still, the sheets now smelled like Axel, and he pressed his nose into the fabric, taking a deeper breath. Axel, who radiated heat from behind him, guiding his hips back and nudging him into position.

Roxas concentrated on the smell through the brief reapplication of lube, cold, but soothing. He dug his fingers into the sheets as he felt the press of hard flesh against him once again, fingers spreading him open while Axel pushed forward into him with a slow, deliberate roll of the hips.

Roxas moaned into the mattress, pushing back and up against Axel, letting him sink in deeper. This was _so_ much better, the friction of sliding in and out, rubbing against sensitive nerves that had his fingers curling in the sheets. The stretch was still there, but it wasn’t quite as pronounced, or rather, he couldn’t feel it over the frissons of pleasure that traveled up his spine with each thrust of those glorious hips.

Above him, Axel let out quiet huffs with each push, hands holding Roxas in place as he started to pick up the speed now that it was obvious that this position was more comfortable for both of them. One hand slid forward, fingers ghosting over Roxas’ cock before curling into a loose fist, pulling with a motion that mimicked each movement from behind.

Roxas cried out, his body reacting to the touch with an enthusiastic thrust forward of its own before the hand at his hip pulled him backwards and up again, sliding along Axel’s shaft, filling him completely and pressing against a spot that had him seeing white spots at the edge of his vision. Axel’s thumb rubbed along the slit of his cock while the other hand anchored him in place, each movement of their hips crushing them closer and closer together.

Roxas shuddered, feeling his stomach muscles tighten as his climax drew closer. He could feel his body trying to clamp down, draw more of Axel into himself, impaling himself on that gloriously thick cock that could fit the freakishly large condoms. Axel must have felt it, too, since he quickened the pace and leaned farther forward to curve over Roxas’ back. This changed the angle of his next thrust, pushing in even deeper and pressing against that one spot again and again until finally the white spots blurred out his vision, his body tightening around Axel, heightening the sensation of fullness and heat.

Roxas felt the rush of his release travel down his own length, feeling lighter and looser even as his body clamped down around Axel. He rode out the waves of his orgasm, face pressed into a pillow that smelled like Axel as he cried out Axel’s name, fingers clenching and unclenching as he rolled with the shivers of relief that washed away the tension in his body, hips trying to keep pace even as he slid in and out of Axel’s hand. His ears were ringing, and it was all he could do to stay on his knees without falling to a boneless heap on the bed.

He was dimly aware of Axel cursing under his breath, of the half-muttered things Axel whispered into his ear as the pace quickened, became more erratic, and somehow even deeper than before. As Roxas was coming down off of his white noise high, he felt Axel stiffen, the thrusts grow a little more frantic, and a sudden increase of heat as Axel came. Axel moaned, and Roxas felt the full weight of him as he practically collapsed onto Roxas’ back. Without Axel there to keep him propped in position, Roxas’ knees shifted apart and they sank to the bed in a heap, Roxas’ stomach and Axel’s hand-- still firmly around Roxas’ cock-- pressed against the mattress, and the entirety of Axel laying flush on top of Roxas.

They lay there for what could have been hours but was probably only a minute or two, panting without much movement, and as Axel came off of his own high, he gathered the energy to pull out his hand and roll off and out of Roxas, withdrawing his softening cock with a wet squelch. Roxas shifted to his side and watched Axel peel off the condom and tie it off, then chuck it into the bin by the bed. Then Axel laid back in the bed, dragging his hand over his face as he let out a long, pleased sigh.

“ _Fuck,”_ Axel managed, and Roxas made a quiet groan of agreement. Axel somehow gathered enough energy to pull Roxas close for a slow, lingering kiss that had Roxas’ tired body warming, despite his boneless exhaustion.

He could feel sweat and cum and lube drying on his skin, but he didn’t care enough to get out of bed, shower it off, and force Axel out of the bed so he could change the sheets. Instead he cuddled closer to Axel, tucking his head under Axel’s chin as Axel wrapped him closer in an embrace. They only moved to pull the thin sheet over them to keep off the chill of the air conditioner, and they settled against one another, sleep starting to overcome them.

“Happy birthday,” mumbled Axel, and Roxas couldn’t agree more.

\- - -

There was something to be said about waking up the day after you woke up with a hangover.

Roxas wasn’t sure if he’d classify it as a better experience, since his head still kind of hurt, and his mouth was sort of dry, and he probably should have had less coffee and more water before he’d gone to bed.

And he ached something awful-- it probably wouldn’t have been so bad if he’d been keeping up with his routines like he promised Professor Strife he would, but this was less of a weary muscle ache and more of a “ _I didn’t even know those muscles could hurt_ ” kind of ache. He shifted, feeling a twinge in a still very _sensitive_ area, and flushed. His mattress grumbled in sympathy, apparently also feeling stiff after a vigorous evening.

“Hngg,” rumbled Axel, which Roxas took to interpret as “hey.” Axel tightened his grip on Roxas, partially dragging him up to chest level and apparently more acceptable cuddling range. Roxas tried not to focus on the feeling of flesh against flesh, and instead focused on rolling off, slightly, so he could nestle against Axel’s chest in a more comfortable position. Not that straddling Axel had been a bad way to wake up, but if they were going to make a lazy morning of it, he’d rather be on his side.

It took a bit of sleepy, grumpy reorganization of limbs and blankets, but a few minutes later Axel was asleep again, his face pressed into the back of Roxas’ neck, arm and leg draped loosely over him to trap him from moving again. Roxas didn’t mind the spooning (although he vaguely hoped that they’d remembered to lock the door before falling into bed), but he was a little put out by how even laying down, Axel had a good foot of height on him. If they were going to keep doing this (and he really, _really_ hoped they would), they’d need to figure out a more comfortable sleeping arrangement so he wouldn’t have to be the little spoon all the time.

Roxas had almost drifted back to sleep when a faint rumble cut across the fog. He blinked, shifting a little to try to get a better look at the clock, to see if it was an alarm he’d forgotten to turn off, but the buzzing came again from below the bed, and he woke up enough to recognize it as a text message. It was accompanied by the chime of an attachment being sent, but it was the noise from his _other_ phone, and suddenly he was fully alert, sliding to the edge of the bed and groping through his discarded clothes to find the phone.

There were a few short messages from an unknown sender, and an attachment.

 

> _**Msg from Unknown (6:30 am):** Think we found something, see attached_  
>  _**Msg from Unknown (6:30 am):** <image attached>_  
>  _**Msg from Unknown (6:31 am):** Will keep you posted as we find more_  
>  _**Msg from Unknown (6:32 am):** Also, happy birthday_

He clicked on the attachment, and a blurry, low-resolution photo filled the screen. From what he could tell, it looked like a picture of a computer screen, specifically, a screenshot of a computer log of recent activity. The picture was awful, the actual log lines too small to be legible, but the activity log wasn’t what caught his attention. He recognized the photo used as the desktop background-- it was the same photo he kept in his room, the three Lux siblings celebrating the day of Ven’s graduation from the academy.

Somehow, Aqua and her people had found Ven’s PC, which meant they were that much closer to whatever Ven had hidden on the server. There wasn’t anything _he_ could do, but it was a huge step towards progress. He sent back a quick reply to thank her for the update and birthday wishes, then settled back into bed, relaxing back against Axel as the redhead reached for him in sleep.

He’d have to send a follow-up text later, when he wasn’t quite so tired, to see if he could get a better screenshot and work on any angles from his end. But for now… he fell back asleep with memories of Ven’s graduation day flowing into thoughts of how he would celebrate the day he saw his brother’s name cleared.

Ven would be up and walking again, and Xion would be there, of course. Namine would join them, and Sora and his gang would probably come, too. And Axel… Axel would be there, too, the point of bright light that had helped him forget all of the dark days that had come before.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter ended up being 26 pages, so I tore out some chunks to stick into _There is a Crack in Everything:_  
>  **[The Life of the Party](http://archiveofourown.org/works/12300699/chapters/29010879)** (takes place immediately after Ch 8)  
> [ Life Aquatic with Xion Lux ](http://archiveofourown.org/works/12300699/chapters/29097795) (takes place during Roxas' cleaning spree in this chapter)  
> 


	10. Yeah the Wars They Will Be Fought Again

Roxas had a very nice ass.

Of course, Axel had been admiring it for some time-- not in a creepy, stalkery way, more in a ‘wow I like what his fencing routine has done for those muscles and I’d like to run my hands along them so I can sculpt them’ kind of way. So, _artistic appreciation_. Totally innocent and aesthetically pleased in the way Roxas moved and how his jeans managed to hug him in all the right ways.

It looked even _better_ when the pants came off.

Roxas stirred on the bed, groaning a bit as his legs shifted and pulled off more of the blanket, giving Axel another fantastic view of his butt. Axel resisted the urge to give it an appreciative pat and rolled off the bed instead, padding towards the bathroom to freshen up a little. He should also probably get some painkillers and a drink for Roxas, just in case. Do not let it be said that he was an inattentive boyfriend.

 _Boyfriend!_ The thought of it brought a grin to his face as he made his way from the bathroom to the kitchen, digging through cabinets until he found Roxas’ stash of coffee filters and assorted flavors. It’d been a while since he’s dated anyone, and Roxas’ embarrassment when it came to talking about sex and communicating what he wanted betrayed his limited experiences in intimacy more than any physical responses. Of course, his inexperience had not done anything to dampen his enthusiasm once Axel helped him out.

Axel... probably should’ve felt just a teensy bit guilty about last night, given Roxas’ inexperience and the fact that they hadn’t even been officially dating for 24 hours, but it wasn’t like he’d taken _advantage_ of Roxas, and they’d been sort of seeing each other for months so it wasn’t like this was a spur of the moment or one night stand kind of thing. He _hoped_ it wasn’t going to be a one night stand kinda thing. Roxas seemed to have enjoyed himself, if the whole boneless cuddling thing afterwards was anything to go by.

Plus, Roxas had been sober, so it wasn’t like he’d been coerced into sex, and Axel had offered to back off multiple times, but Roxas had pursued it, and _damn_ if it hadn’t been satisfying. Apart from the initial fuckup, of course-- hopefully Roxas wouldn’t be too sore, he _did_ feel guilty about that and hoped he’d be willing to try it again at some point.

He hadn’t been lying to Roxas last night when he said half the fun was learning what the other person liked-- and he had this tantalizing suspicion that Roxas might be ticklish, so _that_ was definitely on the list of things to figure out. Plus, he hadn’t really gotten a good look at Roxas’ face as he came, since he’d half-muffled his cry into the pillow, and that was _absolutely_ a thing to watch for next time. If there was a next time. He _hoped_ there would be a next time.

As the coffee brewed, he took a look through the fridge to see if there was anything to make for a quick bite to eat so Roxas wouldn’t be downing pain meds on an empty stomach, but a quick foraging only came up with a couple of unlabeled leftover containers and the ice cream cake in the freezer. That was easy enough to remedy, though-- they could hit up the cafe on the way over to Namine’s, get a bite to eat from Selphie’s before they went to round up the masses. He’d just have to let them know they’d be a little late.

He paused, thinking about what, exactly, he’d say. Roxas had said yes to dating for the second time, and while he’d made his interest clear in front of his friends and family (actions spoke louder than words sometimes), he hadn’t actually said anything about wanting to _say_ anything to people.

Of course, Namine and Xion would probably guess right away since they knew how to read Roxas and he wouldn’t be able to lie to them, and Demyx would figure it out eventually. Sora didn’t seem like the sharpest tack in the wall, and while Riku and Kairi might’ve been able to figure it out, they probably would have to get back on a plane before they could puzzle out the truth.

But they hadn’t talked about what a relationship entailed, and while Axel had no reservations in letting people know, Roxas was a more private person. He might not appreciate Axel sending his sister and best friend a text that said something along the lines of “Lux got lucky last night and I’m gonna take him out for a nice ‘morning after’ breakfast so we’ll be there a little late.”

Well… he could send a vague text about them running a little late and let them interpret that as they would. He just had to figure out where he’d left his phone. Living room, maybe? He didn’t think he’d left it in his pants-- or at least, he _hoped_ he hadn’t, because he was pretty sure he’d thrown his pants against the wall and that wouldn’t be good for the screen.

He left the coffee brewing and padded over to the couch. Sure enough, his phone sat safe and sound on the coffee table, next to their forgotten drinks from the night before. He picked up these and the phone and headed back to the kitchen, cleaning things up (because Roxas hated leaving glasses around), and shooting a quick text to the girls.

  * **_xx08 8:10 am_** **:** Moving at half speed; will be a little late. Stopping for coffee and quick bite, meet you around 11?



He didn’t expect an immediate reply, but as he poured out two mugs of coffee, his phone chimed. He glanced down, and laughed. Xion had sent him a photo of a shark warning sign, followed by a winking emojii. So they had _her_ blessing, at least. Namine replied a few minutes later, simply asking him to text them on their way over so she could make sure everyone was ready to go. Axel left the phone on the counter and headed back to the bedroom, mugs in hand.

He paused in the doorway, taking in the sight of Roxas as he slept, the soft morning light filtering in through the blinds. At this angle, with that lighting, Roxas seemed to shimmer, flecks of light scattering across his body, gathering like a cluster of stars in his hair, along his arms, and on his butt. Apparently Roxas hadn’t gotten all of the glitter out of his bed, but that wasn’t a bad thing from where he was standing. It was quite a sight, and he idly wondered if Roxas would pose for him-- the creative juices were flowing, among other things.

The effect shifted as Roxas let out a soft huff of air and stirred, apparently in the process of waking. Axel pulled away from the doorway to pretend he hadn’t just been ogling Roxas while he slept. It shouldn’t surprise him that Roxas would be slow to move in the morning-- especially given the last two days of adventuring around town with his family and friends, not to mention their activities the night before.

“Up and at ‘em, Sparkles. Coffee’s hot,” he said, trying to rouse Roxas without risking the drinks. He’d learned to avoid startling someone with crazy reflexes the first time around. Roxas cracked an eye open, slight smile on his face as he caught sight of Axel in the door. Then, the rest of his brain started to boot and his eyes widened as he remembered the previous evening.

“Oh! Axel! H-hey,” Roxas said, blushing as he sat up in bed, sheets pooled modestly in his lap. He scrubbed away sleep from his eyes, and shifted to pull his comforter further up his legs, not meeting Axel’s eye as he walked into the room.

Axel didn’t comment, but he grinned and leaned over to hand him a mug. “Hey yourself. You sleep ok, feeling alright?”

Roxas ducked his head, the blush deepening, but he accepted the mug with a quiet, “Thanks. Yeah.” He played with the rim of the cup, fingers running along the edge, then tapping out a nervous beat. “I… wasn’t sure if you’d still be here when I woke up,” he admitted at last, glancing up at Axel before looking back into his mug.

“Did you not want me here?” asked Axel, trying to ignore the sting of that confession. He kept his voice light, and walked back over to the doorway to lean against the doorframe again. “I mean, if you’re having second thoughts about this whole thing I can go, but I think we should talk about it first.”

Roxas’ head snapped up, and he hastily set the mug on the side table. “What? No! _No_ , that’s not what I meant--, no, I, um, _ARGH_ ,” he scrubbed away sleep from his eyes. “I _told_ you I was bad at this kind of stuff.”

“What, communication? Dealing with the ‘morning after’?” asked Axel, trying to come off as teasing and hearing the bite in his own voice. Roxas glared at him, though it lacked heat.

“Stop being an asshole and come back to bed,” he said. Axel raised an eyebrow but walked into the room to sit on the edge of the mattress. Roxas sighed, running fingers through his hair.

“I guess I was just worried that last night was... I dunno.” He chewed on his lip, clearly trying to think of the best way to explain what was going through his head. Axel waited, resisting the urge to lean forward and kiss him quiet. Roxas had to articulate whatever he was thinking, because as much as Axel liked to think he was good at reading people, Roxas always seemed to throw him for a loop.

Roxas tilted his head and started to speak again, slowly, as though he was feeling his way through his emotions as he spoke. “I guess part of me is still sort of amazed that you like me and I was afraid that you were disappointed in last night cause I fucked it up, so when you weren’t here, I didn’t know if that meant I’d managed to mess everything up, or if you were maybe rethinking stuff and left-- why are you giving me that look? That’s how it goes in the movies!”

Axel did kiss him then, laughing and pulling Roxas close. He held Roxas against his chest, but kept his grip gentle.

“Ok, one, you need to remember that movies are movies and you can’t trust what you see on the tv. Sometimes people have to get up and pee in the morning while their partner is still asleep, and sometimes they make it back into bed before their partner wakes up, and sometimes that person wakes up alone. Me _not_ being in the room doesn’t mean I want nothing to do with you, so stop watching trashy chick flicks with Namine, they’ve clearly fucked up your vision of what a relationship entails.”

He pointed to the two mugs on the side table. “I was making coffee because I remember you saying you like to drink it first thing when you wake up. I was gonna make breakfast, too, but all you have is ice cream cake. Which isn’t actually a _terrible_ idea, but I thought coffee might be good first. And I did have to pee, so there was that.”

Some of the tension left Roxas as he let out a long breath, then leaned into Axel’s shoulder. Axel smiled, shifting so Roxas could get more comfortable. If he’d known that Roxas was _cuddly_ in the morning, he’d have stayed in the damn bed, call of nature or not. He chuckled, bringing a hand up to run through Roxas’ tousled hair, and pointed across the room with his other hand.

“Also, I don’t know if you noticed, but my pants are over on your dresser, and I think that’s my shirt on your lamp. I wouldn’t have left without getting dressed.”

“Oh.” Roxas sighed against him and nuzzled his neck. “That’s good.”

“Haha, yeah? Why’s that?”

Roxas ducked his head, hair tickling the bottom of Axel’s chin. “Because since you _are_ here...maybe we could, um, do it again? If you want to?”

Axel shifted so he could look down at Roxas, who was blushing furiously but seemed legitimately earnest in his question. He looked up at Axel with a nervous smile, and it was all Axel could do to resist kissing him senseless. He opted for a peck on the forehead.

“Yeah, I’d like to, but are you sure you’re up for it?” he asked. “You’re not too sore?” He couldn’t think of any other way to tactfully ask if things had gotten too rough-- he’d _tried_ to make it as comfortable as possible, but inexperience usually made things a bit tender, no matter how much you tried to prepare. Roxas blushed deeper.

“A little?” admitted Roxas, “but I also woke up feeling kinda invigorated?”

“I thought there was a glow to you,” laughed Axel, “but then I realized it was just the sun reflecting on all the glitter.”

“GLITTER! XION! SHIT!” Roxas yelped, practically leaping out of the bed, all body shyness disappearing under his sudden panic. “What time is it? They could be on their way over and could’ve walked in on us!”

“Relax, I texted Namine and told her we’d meet up with them later. She said the gang was still asleep and probably would be for another hour or two.”

Roxas looked back at the bed, then at his door, biting his lip. “I probably should change the sheets again, since we’re both shedding sparkles. But maybe if we’re quick…?”

Axel grinned, reaching forward to pull Roxas back onto the bed and into a kiss. “I’ll help you change the sheets when we’re done. Then we can take a shower and I’ll help you look for errant patches of glitter.”

Roxas laughed, squirming out of Axel’s hold to reach over for the drawer to his tableside dresser, but Axel stopped him, pulling him back onto the bed and pressing him down into the pillows.

“We’re not gonna need them for this,” he said, leaning on one arm next to Roxas while the fingers of the other traced lines of muscle down Roxas’ stomach.

Roxas visibly gulped, his eyes watching Axel’s hand. “I don’t understand, don’t you want to…?” he asked, plaintive, and Axel chuckled, kissing his jawline.

“I want to,” he replied, trying to dispel whatever crazy scenario was starting to build in Roxas’ mind before it allowed him to come to the wrong conclusions. They’d have to work on that-- Roxas tended to imagine all of the worst outcomes and assume the blame for it-- but that was something they could talk about and deal with together.

“Last night was great, and I’ll be happy to do it again if you’re game,” he said, glad to feel Roxas relax a little under the reassurance. “But once you stand up and start walking around, even if you’re feeling ok now you might not be quite so enthusiastic after an hour or so. Don’t worry, there are _other_ things we can do that don’t involve condoms-- especially since we’ll be cleaning in a bit anyway.”

“Like what?” asked Roxas, his voice soft enough to be a whisper. Axel didn’t reply, he just started moving his hand again. He grinned as he found a spot that made Roxas twitch, cataloging the location as an attack point if he ever needed to subdue Roxas through tickles. Instead, he let his hand dip lower, following the line of hipbone down and stopping an inch or so above the evidence of Roxas’ “invigoration.”

“Well…” Axel drawled out, sliding his finger to the side and continuing to trace a path down along Roxas’ thigh. “We could stay in bed and talk, you could tell me about how school is going and what your new schedule is gonna be like so we can figure out times to hang out. _My_ schedule should be freeing up pretty soon; Marley’s gonna go part time with the shop so they can work on recording stuff, and I can paint pretty much anywhere.”

Roxas laughed, even as he trembled under Axel’s touch. “That’s it? You just wanna talk?”

“Mmm,” Axel hummed, bringing his hand back up along Roxas’ side, deliberately making the touch featherlight as he reached the area where Roxas had flinched during last night’s make out session. As before, Roxas, squirmed under the gentle touch, and Axel laughed. “Talking can be sexy. We could talk about how cute it is that you’re ticklish and when it’s appropriate to exploit this knowledge.”

“That’s not fair!” complained Roxas,  propping himself up on his elbows and twisting away from Axel’s fingers. He relaxed back into the bed when Axel relented, shifting his hand up to Roxas’ chest. “And also _not_ what I had in mind,” he grumbled, though his face flushed at the admission.

“Yeah?” Axel teased, unable to stop the grin, even as he drew back his hand to rest his arm on his hip. “And what did you have in mind?”

Roxas’ own hand fell on Axel’s side, pulling him closer as he brought his face towards Axel’s, though he hesitated, still unsure about taking the initiative. Axel tilted his head down to acquiesce Roxas’ unspoken question, and the distance between them quickly disappeared with a kiss. The angle was awkward and a bit too uncomfortable for both of them, so Axel rolled him to his back, Roxas sinking into the pillows with a sigh.

Axel moved from Roxas’ mouth down his jawline and along his throat, which earned him a low moan and fingers gripping his shoulders. Axel continued the trail and kisses and nibbles, moving lower and grinning as he felt Roxas’ reactions under his lips. He stopped his advance at Roxas’ navel, where the trail of pale golden hair began.

“So if you don’t wanna talk about setting up dates to hang out, and you’re not gonna talk about exploiting your sensitive spots in public, I’m not sure what else I should do with my mouth…” he said, trailing off. He grinned up at Roxas, who’d gone very still, very red, and very _alert_.

“N-no?” choked out Roxas, his fingers digging into the sheets. “N-nothing comes to, _ahh_ , mind?”

Axel chuckled, his finger following the golden trail down, drawing a hiss out of Roxas as his hand closed in a fist. Axel shifted on the bed so he was resting on his elbows between Roxas’ knees, his hand idly stroking up Roxas panted and gasped with each movement. “I mean, I make a living by using my hands so I’d probably be able to figure something out, but I’m not sure what else we could do that doesn’t involve talking or me touching you…. Although there is one _other_ thing I could probably do with my mouth.”

“A-Axel...” Roxas groaned his name, flushed red in embarrassment, and then proceeded to try to suffocate himself with the pillow to muffle further reactions. Axel huffed-- that was definitely _not_ the reaction that he’d been hoping for. He stopped his strokes and shifted so that his mouth hovered over Roxas’ exposed skin, and then, with a grin, he dipped down his head and blew, _hard_.

Roxas yelped Axel targeted one of the Tickle Zones™ and blew a very long, very enthusiastic raspberry against the sensitive skin. The pillow came down hard on Axel’s head, forcing him to stop and block the attack, and he rolled to the side, laughing hard, even as Roxas continued to pelt him with the pillow.

“Oh my god you’re the WORST, get out of my bed, I take back all the nice stuff I said about you and --mmph!” Axel stopped the stream of complaints with an apologetic kiss, and even though they were both still laughing through it and Roxas gave him another whack with the pillow for good measure, Axel was pretty sure he was forgiven.

And then he magically ‘remembered’ one _more_ thing he could do with his mouth that didn’t involve talking, and the way Roxas writhed on the bed and whimpered his name as he came was _definitely_ one of the best ways he could think of to start the day.

\- - -

It took them a little longer than anticipated to get going, so breakfast was a quick affair of coffee and bagels on the go. Axel had to drop Roxas off with barely enough time for a brief peck of a goodbye kiss before he had to run off to work. Roxas walked down to Namine’s apartment to find Sora and Xion breaking down the last of the pillowfort as Riku, Kairi, and Namine busied themselves in the kitchen, cleaning up what looked like some sort of waffles or french toast breakfast casserole thing.

Roxas flushed a little as Namine gave him a sunny, knowing smile, but she didn’t say anything, just gave him a hug and sent them off to the trolley station, promising to meet the five of them later in the afternoon before they had to go. As they walked, Sora talked a mile a minute about how next time they were in town he wanted to see blitzball tournament, or maybe another concert, and how they could figure out a way to get Ven out in the sunshine so he could get better more quickly. But even as Sora prattled on with a few interjections from Riku and Kairi, Roxas could practically _feel_ Xion preparing to grill him as soon as they got some privacy to chat.

But Xion didn’t say a thing when they got to the station. She didn’t say a thing as they took the trolley back into town, or when they left Sora, Riku, and Kairi to hang out in town while they headed back to the hospital so Xion could see Ven before they left. He could see her biting her lip, clearly thinking about what she wanted to say, holding back the urge to laugh or interrogate him or god knew what else, but fortunately she was considerate enough to hold off grilling him for more information in public until they got somewhere private.

But she didn’t say anything when they lost sight of the trio, even though he braced himself for impact. Knowing her, she’d wait to ask him when he was in the middle of doing something, just to catch him off guard and make him flounder a bit as she teased him at his expense. And he _really_ didn’t want to have her say something in front of the Turks, or in front of Ven (since he still wasn’t sure how to explain the whole ‘hey, so, I developed a major crush on your childhood best friend and last night we made it official so we’re dating now’ to his older brother). Roxas stopped as they reached the hospital, and Xion, seeing this, stopped as well.

“What’s wrong?” she asked, moving to the side to avoid blocking the steps for other guests. Roxas crossed his arms and stood his ground, but didn’t look at her.

“Just say something already!” he said, flushing a little and tightening his grip. “I know you want to.”

“Umm… I’m very happy for both of you?” she asked, then laughed as he glared at her. “I’m not really sure what else you want me to say, Roxas. I like him. I can tell how much he likes you. And you seem happy, so I’m glad you guys are giving it a try. What did you think I was going to do, ask you for details? Ask you if you know what his intentions are, and if I need to have a serious discussion with him? You’re both consenting adults, and besides, I’m not going to be here _that_ often that I could stop you even if I wanted to. Just be safe and keep using protection, and I’ll be sure to be _really_ loud when I visit the apartment.”

“Ah… o-ok,” said Roxas, the rest of what he’d prepared to say dying on his lips. Xion knew, and wasn’t going to tease him about it, which was surprisingly decent of her. Not that she was a bad person, he just expected more… something. She seemed a bit preoccupied, though, so he wasn’t going to push his luck. He hesitated, then added, “don’t… Don’t tell Ven yet. I need to figure out how to bring it up.”

Xion giggled. “I really think you’re getting overly paranoid about this, Roxas. Ven will be happy for you, and he already knows Axel so it’s not like he hasn’t had the opportunity to tell you he doesn’t want you to see him.”

“Yeah, I know, but I just… don’t want to bring it up yet,” he said, scratching the back of his neck. “I mean, I just wanna give it some time to sink in, you know? And I guess explain to Ven how it happened… which I guess I’ll do tomorrow, once everything’s calmed down a little, and before Axel goes in on Tuesday for art therapy stuff.”

He thought about the art session, and wondered if he should try to make an appearance too, for moral support. Not that he thought Ven would be upset, but it might be kinda awkward for Axel to show up and act like nothing had happened. Namine wouldn’t say anything if he asked her not to, not til he had a chance to sit with Ven alone. And Axel already said he didn’t care who knew or not, but he probably wouldn’t start his conversation to Ven with ‘so guess what WE did Saturday night and Sunday morning and yesterday and hopefully tonight?’ It might be fun to see Ven’s expression, or Namine’s, or Demyx’s--

“Oh, crap, and I guess we’ll need to tell Demyx, too, so he doesn’t say anything til I get a chance to sit down with Ven,” he frowned, considering their best options. “ ...I guess I’ll see if I can meet them later tonight for dinner or something, or maybe Axel can just do it when he gets home.”

“I really think you’re over analyzing this,” laughed Xion, reaching down to tug him up the stairs. “And as much fun as it is to watch you fret about silly things, I wanna see Ven before I have to catch my flight. Are you good, or do I need to leave you out here while I go inside?”

“I’m coming, I’m coming,” he said, shaking off her hand and heading up the stairs with her. She giggled again, and he realized he’d set himself up perfectly for a ‘that’s what he said’ joke, but Xion, now a mature adult of 21 years of age, refrained from saying it aloud. Instead, she simply grinned and skipped into the hospital.

Ven sat in the bed with his eyes closed, a lap desk with his handwriting exercises pushed to the side as he took what looked like a cat nap. They knocked on the door to let him know they were coming in, and his eyes flitted open. He perked up when he saw them, smiled, and managed what sounded like a garbled ‘Birthday Brats!’ before reaching for his tablet to type out a short message.

**_“Did you two have fun? Glad to see you’re not still hungover.”_ **

Roxas laughed, sitting on the bed while Xion claimed the chair. “I remember the aftermath of your 21st birthday weekend well enough to know that drinking for three days straight is not a smart thing to do, even if you’re invited to party on a fancy yacht.”

Xion launched into an account of the night, pulling out her phone the show Ven pictures while Roxas popped back into the hallway. There were two more unfamiliar faces today-- he wasn’t sure why they kept rotating agents out; how they heck was he supposed to learn who they were if they kept sending new ones? The uniform wouldn’t be _that_ hard to fake.

He decided to try his luck with the man on the right, a nondescript man with brown hair and glasses. “Did you guys finish checking the gift?” he asked. “Can I take it inside for her to see?”

The man nodded, pushing up his glasses as they slipped down his nose. “Nurse’s station. They’ve got it locked up for you.”

“Thanks,” Roxas said, hurrying over to reclaim the box and go back into the room. Xion was in the middle of describing her aquarium building adventures with Demyx when the sight of the box piqued her interest.

“Oh, what’s this?”

“Happy birthday from both of us!” replied Roxas, handing her the package. “Ven helped me figure out what to get and we both decided this would be best. Happy birthday!”

She popped off the lid and pushed back the paper, then gasped. She frowned at them, even as she gingerly picked her gift up out of the box.

“This is too much!” she protested. “Did Kairi say something to you?”

“She told us which brand would be best for underwater photography, yeah,” Roxas admitted as she admired the camera. “But Ven was the one who knew about this cantankerous old fart who tinkers with things and sells all kinds of electronics and stuff, so I went to talk to him and we figured this one will help you get started. Document your reef work and send us pictures!”

She very carefully set the camera back in the box and on the table, then tackled them both in a hug.

“I love it! Thank you so, so much!” She picked up the camera again, then turned it to face the three of them in an impromptu selfie. “First picture will be the three of us-- for luck!”

It took them a few tries, but Xion finally got a picture that she pronounced perfect, and promised to send them copies when she got back to her computer at home. And by the time Roxas waved the four of them off at the airport later that night, she’d managed to slip in a few more candid photos.

Roxas watched them go with mixed emotions-- he missed seeing them on a regular basis and probably should make an effort to get out to the islands more often, now that Ven was doing better, but at the same time, it would take his ribs a few days to recover from Sora’s infamous hugs, and he was really, really looking forward to a nap. And Axel had been right about the delayed achiness-- a bath would probably be in order later on, too.

The apartment was oddly quiet when he got back, bordering on lonely after three days of noise and activity. He could always invite people over, but he’d already taken the entire weekend off to hang out with friends, and since he didn’t do AI work, his project wouldn’t magically finish itself if he just turned the computer on and left it running.

Sighing, he kicked off his shoes and walked over to his computer, letting it boot while he dug through his fridge for a snack. There really wasn’t that much to choose from and he’d probably have to go shopping the next day as he ran his other errands, so he settled on another slice of ice cream cake (he’d just have to go for a run or something first thing in the morning to work it off).

Settling in for a coding session, he balanced the bowl on one knee so he could eat with one hand while scrolling with the other. He checked the stats of his current file on the server, comparing the download rates to when he’d checked a few days before. There were some more hits, but there were still only about 200 downloads that could be considered unique, which wasn’t really enough to get a decent baseline for testing.

Even crappy ‘pet’ games would need at least a thousand testers to stress test the server and check for variances in bugs and other issues that might pop up that he couldn’t get through single, closed testing sessions in his apartment. And he needed stress tests if it was going to accomplish what he needed it to do. If nothing else, Demyx’s band had a lot of followers, and he didn’t want the game crashing their phones or computers when they went to change accessories on the little heartless avatar.

He opened his email and shot Leonhart a quick message:

> _Hey,_
> 
> _I still need more testers if I’m gonna stress-test this thing. I was hoping for 5k ids, but even 1k would be better than 250, which is what I currently have. Could you get more profs to ask students to download and try it out, maybe for extra credit or something? I’ve loaded it onto more USBs and can get them to you tomorrow. I’m just having limited success going through my channel and I want it stable before I let Demyx push version 1 on their fan site. I don’t want stuff to crash immediately._
> 
> _Let me know if you can think of other tests to run, I’ll check in the latest version of the game to the server tonight and you can check the updates there._
> 
> _~RL_

He set the computer aside, then picked up his two phones. The first message he sent was short and to the point:

  * ****_xx00 9:10 pm_** **:** ** Have you found anything? LMK what I can do. Things should be ready in another week or so on this end



 Message sent, he picked up his other phone and sent a quick text to Axel, feeling the blush on his cheeks as he typed and hating his stupid body for being so embarrassed about texting his _boyfriend_. He knew he had a ridiculous smile on his face as he pressed send, but somehow he just couldn’t bring himself care.

  * **_xx13 9:11 pm_** **:** What’s your schedule like this week? I’ve got my first cooking class with Namine on Friday but other than that I’m free if you wanna do something.



The reply he got a few minutes later had him grateful that he was, in fact, alone in the apartment, because if Xion had seen his stupidly happy expression there’d never be an end to the teasing. And if Sora had still been there, he would have incorrectly interpreted the expression as something being wrong, then there’d be no end to the questions. Riku and Kairi would probably just laugh, being more astute to these sorts of things than his cousin, but they wouldn’t do much more than that. And if _Axel_ had been there, well…

  * _**_xx08 9:16 pm :_** I wanna do a lot of things. >;3  Tonight and tomorrow probably don’t work but maybe Tuesday after art stuff with Ven we could catch dinner or something?_



Roxas grinned, setting down his bowl and ignoring his work altogether, sliding the PC over on the coffee table so he could prop up his feet.

  * **_xx13 9:17 pm_** **:** I’m up for whatever. :) Will you see Demyx tonight?


  * _**_xx08 9:19 pm :_** Yeah, he should be awake still when I get home. You want me to say something? Or do you wanna keep it quiet for now?_


  * ****_xx13 9:21 pm_** **:**** I’m not embarrassed about dating you, he’s a friend and I don’t think he would disapprove. I mean, if it comes up or if he asks, yeah, go ahead and tell him. I’m gonna talk to Ven tomorrow and tell him. Unless you don’t want me to?


  * _**_xx08 9:22 pm :_** Why would I not want him to know? If you’re cool with it that’s good with me, just warn me if Im gonna get a lecture from him or something, lol_


  * ****_xx13 9:22 pm_** **:**** You’re safe on that front, at least. Namine and Xion both approve of you


  * **_xx08 9:24 pm :_** _I’ve already been warned by both of them not to step outta line, it’ll be fine. Third tims the charm, right? G2g client just arrived. I’ll tty tonight, k? <3_


  * ****_xx13 9:25 pm_** **:**** Ok! Have fun, ttyl <3



He set the phone down and pulled up his computer again, going through the comments and bug reports on his cloud hosting site and reading through to find which lines of code were the culprits. No one was reporting any major issues, just a few weird GUI glitches, which, upon further inspection, came down to the processing power of the devices using the game, rather than the program itself. He made a mental note to add a popup that told people what they needed to play for a smoother experience, something he could show to Leonhart as future features and patches.

This back and forth was always irritating, though-- he really _should_ get better at commenting bits of his code-- but at the same time, knowing that things were sloppy when he handed them in meant Leonhart would bust his ass about his coding practices and probably spent less time bitching about the content itself. At least, that’s what the plan was. A solid plan, if he said so himself, mostly because he knew how the professor worked and thought, and Squall didn’t want to have to deal with his senior project anymore than he did.

He’d be surprised if Leonhart actually even _played_ the game, honestly. Which was a shame, really, since he’d put in an entire line of gunblades as an easter egg. Of course, if Squall played the game long enough to unlock them, well… it would say more about the professor’s social life than Roxas’ sense of humor.

His other phone chimed and he picked it up, scanning the response.

  * **_Msg from Unknown (10:30 pm):_** _Nothing yet. Will let you know when we need you; keep doing what you’re doing_.



He sighed, chucking the phone onto the table and running fingers through his hair. So he couldn’t work on homework until he had more bug reports to read, and he didn’t have anything he could really work on for the whole Ven investigation, either. Even worse, he couldn’t even hang out with Axel since he was at work that night, and probably wouldn’t be home til late.

Roxas looked at the clock, debating his next move. He _could_ take that nap he’d considered, sort of to recharge his batteries and wake up feeling more refreshed and alert. Maybe by that time Leonhart would say something about getting the program out to more people, getting him more logins and reports to review later that week.

But it was also kinda late for a nap, so he could skip it and take a bath or shower instead, which might be just as relaxing, maybe even productive if he sat in the water and thought about bugs and new features to add. He needed something to submit with his application to the Academy forces, something functioning and fully bug tested and _bulletproof_ when he turned it in, because that deadline was fast approaching, and he’d rather have it over and done with sooner rather than later. He’d have to skirt around the truth when he talked to Ven, of course, since Ven had made it clear that he didn’t want him applying to the Academy forces.

Roxas... didn’t aspire to becoming a Keyblade Master. He didn’t even care if he rose in the ranks, since getting his hand deep in the coding was really more his thing than hitting the streets and putting his fencing and Struggle skills to the test. And sure, private sector would allow him to do that; he could probably land a cushy job maintaining a network and skimming along, hardening servers against attacks and buckling down on vulnerabilities, but at the same time… a lot could change when the right people took a stand in the right places.

Was he committed to the cause? Did he really care about turning the city around? Or was he just following in Ven’s footsteps again, picking up Ven’s cause now that he was unable to champion change? Did he actually even care about the city, when it came down to it, enough to risk his own life? Ven had gotten in way over his head, and, as far as the police were concerned, he’d brought down Aqua and Terra with him. What kind of fool would willingly walk into that kind of danger?

….an idiot who loved his brother, of course.

He groaned, leaning back and rubbing at his eyes. He needed a shower or bath or something, that, at least, was absolutely a thing he needed to do. And maybe he could just stand under the water and just not _think_ for a while and everything would magically disappear and he could pretend that he was living the normal life of a normal college student worrying about normal things.

And if that didn’t work, he could always think about Axel.

He felt the flush creep along his skin...It…. was probably going to be a long night.

The phone on the table buzzed again, skittering across the surface and bumping against his laptop. He lunged forward to seize it before it fell off the table, frowning. What else could be added to the very “Don’t call us we’ll call you” message they’d sent?

  * **_Msg from Unknown (10:50 pm):_** _Xigbar is off desk duties tomorrow. Mind yourself_



He stared at the phone, waiting for something more, but apparently that was it. No advice about how, exactly, he was supposed to ‘mind himself,’ no heads up about whether or not he should worry about Xigbar coming to talk to him about anything-- not that he had anything to do with Xigbar getting put on desk duty, he’d shot a guy in the friggin hospital! Of course, he’d shot the guy who’d gone after Ven, and if Xigbar didn’t have an access card to get to Ven (yet), Roxas was probably the next best thing. If Xigbar wanted to blame someone for his clerical time-out, the Luxes were a great place to look.

He set the phone down on the table and frowned. Well… that was decidedly unhelpful, and unnerving enough that he _knew_ he wasn’t gonna get any more work done tonight. He sighed, shut down the computer, then plugged in both phones before heading to the bathroom. When in doubt, take a shower.

\- - - -

The next morning, Roxas was glad to learn that, two days after a night of extensive drinking, he finally woke up without a massive headache. He wasn’t feeling as achy, either, and he felt a little less tender, which was good, because he’d hoped to meet up with Axel the next night and he’d probably be back to 100% by then. As much as he liked how clever Axel was with his hands and mouth, he was really hoping for another round of…. Stuff.

He was gonna have to learn to at least be able to _think_ about sex without blushing, because this was getting really awkward and frustrating in more ways than one. Maybe Axel would have some ideas. He’d have to ask, since he really didn’t want to sit through another lecture from Namine, and he’d take a hard pass on hearing about fish mating rituals from Xion.

Or, better yet, he could maybe ask Demyx if he had any ideas-- people who dealt with medical stuff all the time seemed to take all of the body’s weird functions in stride-- and Demyx might not tease him as much as Axel. And Demyx had known Axel for a while, so he might even have ideas for surprise date nights or something.

As he headed into the hospital, he made a mental note to try to find Demyx on his way out, maybe catch him on a coffee break or something. He was so focused on planning out the rest of the day, he almost ran into the blonde Turk waiting for him outside of Ven’s room.

“Lux, a moment.”

He stopped, turning to see the woman beckoning him to step to the side. With her already substantial height increased with (nonregulatory) heels, she towered over him as she led him to an alcove.

“Is everything alright?” he asked, trying to remember her name. Freya? Frier? No... _Freyra_. One day he’d keep them all straight.

She frowned, looking back towards the door. “He is… not at his best today,” she said at last, and Roxas felt the weight of her words stacking on his shoulders as she continued. “Response to stimulus has been minimal.”

He sighed, running a hand over his face. “Well… maybe he’ll be happy to see me anyway,” he said after a moment, and the edge of her lip twitched, although he was pretty sure smiling while on the clock wasn’t allowed.

“Perhaps,” Freyra replied, then, after a moment’s hesitation, “I wanted you to be aware of the situation.”

“I appreciate the heads up,” he said, hating the fact that these people only talked to him when they had bad news or wanted him to do something, but knowing that he owed Ven’s safety to them. He headed back down the hall and into Ven’s room, bracing for the worst.

Things seemed normal enough. Ven sat up in bed, staring out the window. His breakfast tray looked untouched, but Ven had never really been fond of scrambled eggs and toast. The tablet sat on the side of the bed, screen dark, and the writing exercises from yesterday sat beneath. Roxas headed over to the side of the bed, pulling up the chair and plucking the tablet off the table.

“Hey,” he said when Ven didn’t turn around. He didn’t even react to the sound, and Roxas felt his heart sink. He decided to keep going, since sometimes talking helped Ven snap out of it. “So I heard back from Xion, they all got back ok and she’s already taken some pictures with the camera, so we should be getting pictorial updates pretty soon. I’ll bring in my computer next time so we can look at them together.”

Still nothing, not even a twitch. Roxas reached out a tentative hand, picking up Ven’s when his brother didn’t respond. Roxas sighed.

“I wanted to talk to you about stuff, but I guess it can hold off for now, til you’re feeling better. I mean, I’m not gonna _leave_ or anything, I guess I can just tell you about what’s been going on… Not that a lot has actually happened in the last 24 hours or so,” he laughed, though he had trouble getting it to sound genuine when Ven was just _sitting_ there.

Aerith had warned him. She’d said there’d be bad days, even with the Nethecite protein working its wonders. Dr. Bunansa had said such episodes were “well within expected and acceptable parameters”, and Roxas had reread all of the reports Aerith had given him about the treatment to see that yes, this happened. They’d made a note that as time progressed the relapses were fewer and farther between, lasting for shorter durations and with less incapacitation. Even Cloud said he’d had issues with lost time and weakness the first year or so during his recovery period.

Roxas didn’t regret signing off on the treatment, and Ven had told him as much once it’d been easier to communicate that he would’ve made the same decision. But on days like this, when Ven fell back into unresponsive bouts and lethargy, it was hard to remember that they’d all agreed to it. Harder still to remember that part of the treatment involved injecting regulated levels of poison into the bloodstream, poison that, if not properly administered, could cause permanent muscle atrophy, a twilight-like state of dissociation, or, in a worst case scenario, death.

“I thought of you on the way over here today,” he said, trying to keep his voice light. He didn’t want Ven to come out of it to hear him angsting about things, after all. “There’s a new shop that opened up near the square that’s got a pretty great selection of telescopes and stuff. When you’re feeling up to it we can go check them out, maybe get one to take with us when we go visit Xion and the gang. I bet we could see a lot of planets and things when we get away from the city lights.”

Ven shifted, turning away from the window to blink at Roxas. He tilted his head as though listening, but his eyes remained unfocused, and although Roxas kept talking, trying to engage him with questions and opportunities to react, there were no other signs of recognition. Roxas gave up a few hours later having talked himself out, getting no sign from Ven that anything was getting through. Still, he gave his brother a hug and promised to come back the next day before he headed out the door, avoiding eye contact with the Turks as he left.

He’d gotten halfway home before he remembered his mission to talk to Demyx, but he just… wasn’t in the mood. He’d have to text Namine and Axel to let them know that they’d need to call in before going in for an art session-- no need to lug supplies over when the patient wouldn’t be able to participate in the therapy. They might still go-- probably _would_ still go-- Ven usually appreciated the company, even if he didn’t _seem_ to react and had no memory of what took place during that lost time, but, well, Roxas liked to think it helped. He’d need to tell Axel, too, that he hadn’t told Ven anything yet.

He’d try to swing by again tomorrow, to see if there’d been any improvement, and if he’d have a chance to talk to Ven before they showed up. If he hadn’t snapped out of it, well, he could still swing by to talk to Namine and Axel, and maybe the three of them could go out afterwards to grab a bite or something. Demyx might be free as well, so he could always come along. There was still cake to finish off, afterall.

He’d also try to talk to Aerith, see if Ven was getting these spells because of overexcitement and too much activity, or if it was more a symptom of the infusions, or maybe even a combination of everything. There had to be _something_ he could do, rather than just coming in and holding one-sided conversations. They’d done that already, and he was more than ready to never have to worry about it happening again.

He was so focused on figuring out how to fix things that he almost didn’t see the figure waiting for him by his apartment building until it was he’d reached the stairs. He stopped, frowning as the security officer peeled away from the door.

It’d been weeks since the Turks had started covering Ven’s security detail, and Roxas hadn’t seen the man in all that time. Granted, he’d meant to stop by the station to ask Zexion about submitting files as part of his application, but he hadn’t actually emailed anything out yet, and as far as he knew things were ok at the station, no new developments despite Ven’s near-complete debriefing.

“Zexion? What’re you doing here? Do you need something?” he asked. Zexion shook his head, turning towards the parking lot and gesturing for Roxas to follow.

“Walk with me a bit. We need to talk.”


	11. The Hidden Truth

Roxas stilled, trying to interpret the flat delivery of “we need to talk.” Zexion had always been honest with him, friendly, even. But he’d also warned Roxas about meddling, and while he hadn’t completely blown off the man’s warnings, he hadn’t exactly been the model student, either. He decided to play it cool and to pretend that he _hadn’t_ been conspiring with a wanted former agent or playing on the darker side of grey when it came to coding practices.

“Zexion! Hey, it’s been a while, it’s good to see you, how’ve you been?” Roxas said, trying to slow down his racing heart and put pauses between his words to sound sort of normal. Of course, this had been anything but a normal day, with him waking up feeling pretty good, then dealing with Ven’s setback and the Turks being all aloof and distant, and Axel’s innuendo-laced texts. He did his best to play it straight, but the stress must have shown. Zexion raised an eyebrow, tilting his head ever so slightly.

“Is there a problem?” the agent asked, voice a little more empathetic, though there was more caution than warmth. Roxas felt his cheeks flush as he shook his head and sighed.

“No! No, I just… it’s been a long day and I’m surprised to see you, that’s all,” he said, letting some of the day’s weariness creep into his voice. “I just got back from the hospital. Ven wasn’t… he didn’t do so hot today, after treatment this morning.”

“Ah,” Zexion said, voice softening. “I’m sorry to hear that.”

“Yeah, well… it is what it is. Aerith said he should be better in a couple of days, and it’s not like he hasn’t done this kind of thing before.” Roxas looked up again, straightening his back and forcing a smile into his voice. “Anyway, you wanted to see me?”

“You’re preparing to submit paperwork and files to the Academy forces soon.” This was said more of as a statement then a question, but Roxas nodded anyway, just to be polite. Zexion crossed his arms, managing to peer down at Roxas despite their close height. “It’s important that you make sure that what you submit is flawless, no room for criticism.”

Roxas paused, trying to read the man’s expression, but it was tough to tell what was going on behind that intent stare with only one eye visible. When it became apparent that Zexion wasn’t going to elaborate on his cryptic… warning? Roxas felt out his reply, choosing his words with care.

“I’ve been working closely with Professor Leonhart to make sure everything is tidy before I submit it,” he said at last. “I’m planning on completing the application by the end of next month.”

“Xemnas is waiting for it,” Zexion replied, still keeping his face placid, but the corner of a lip tilted up. “I’m sure he’ll be most intrigued by your submission.”

Roxas flushed. “You, ah, you’ve seen the file? Did Leonhart show it to you?”

“Your coding is messy,” Zexion replied, ignoring the question. “Make sure it’s ship-shape before you turn it in, the team won’t want to look at what you’ve got right now.”

Roxas frowned, his pulse picking up again. How closely had Zexion looked at the code? Had he put something in there that raised red flags? He didn’t _think_ he had, but he’d been working on the thing nonstop for weeks, and learning how to code games as he went, so there might’ve been some issues that slipped through. But if Zexion had looked at the _entire_ code, understood the groundwork for what he had planned…

“I’ll, uh, work on that then,” he said, trying to look sheepish and not scared out of his mind. “Is that why you’re here? To let me know I need to do better if I hope to get an interview?”

“You’ll land an interview simply because you’ve caught the Chief’s attention,” Zexion said, probably not meaning to make that sound as threatening as it did, but Roxas shivered nevertheless. “I’m here to ask you about your brother.”

This gave Roxas pause. “Ven?” Zexion had been partnered with Ven when Aqua was reassigned to Terra’s unit, and while they’d shared an office and went out for drinks every so often, he didn’t think they’d been friendly, per se. Zexion was tough to read, and neither Ven nor Roxas did well with people they couldn’t interpret.

“It’s not typical for a cybersecurity expert to suddenly change focus and submit a game as their final project,” said Zexion, switching tactics and focusing on the previous idea again. “You seemed set on following in your brother’s footsteps, and this project of yours is quite a sidestep.”

“Well, uh, not really,” said Roxas, scratching the back of his head and trying to calm his still-racing heart. He smiled at Zexion, hoping that it came off as sincere. “I mean, yeah, maybe you don’t think security when you’re working on dressing up a little critter and feeding it digital candy and stuff, but there’s still a security element to it. You’ve gotta make sure that you obfuscate the user’s login info, and protect their privacy by making sure there aren’t leaks. The program has to be light enough to run on crappy systems, but resilient enough to hold up on better machines.”  

He shrugged, feeling a little more at ease as he got into the spiel. He’d already given it to Squall, after all. It was rote at this point.

“I wanted to try building and maintaining a server to see how it held up under stress tests, make sure that nothing got through that wasn’t supposed to be there,” he continued. “Plus there’s the whole secure update aspect, keeping stuff safe and sound while the system downloads and replaces files.”  

He sighed, not really sure why Zexion seemed so intent on this, but willing to give him as much of the truth as he dared. “And... it’s been kinda a shitty six months. I wanted to do something fun instead of another stupid spreadsheet analyzer. Leonhart thought it would be ok-- I did check with him first.”

Zexion let out a small laugh, and Roxas let some of the tension ease away. Zexion crossed his arms and leaned against the wall, looking out into the parking lot.

“Well, I suppose we’ll just have to wait and see if Xemnas appreciates the novelty of your idea,” Zexion said at last. “Of course, he’s not known to have the best sense of humor. He may not appreciate a detour from the usual submissions, however. It might hurt your chances, unless you had something else to offer.”

“Something else?” Roxas asked, his heart sinking. He didn’t _have_ any other projects, he’d been spending all his time working on the senior project and his part time coding work, there wasn’t time to add another thing into the mix in two weeks.

“Your brother was working on something big before the incident at the warehouse,” said Zexion, all humor gone from his voice. “If he left you with anything, or if you manage to uncover anything that might help us close the case, Xemnas would probably hire you on the spot, and at a pay grade higher than regular Academy graduates normally receive.”

“But… I don’t have anything like that,” admitted Roxas. He shook his head in helpless confusion at the look Zexion gave him. “I don’t! I dunno what he told you at work, but he never brought stuff from the office back home, and he hasn’t mentioned anything at the hospital about any missing files or programs or any big breakthroughs he made on the case.” He stared at the ground, remembering the weeks leading up to the accident. “He didn’t tell me _anything_ , I didn’t even know he was working on any big cases until a month or so ago, when Xemnas asked me about it. And when I ask him about it now, he either acts like he has no idea what I’m talking about, or flat out ignores my question. I only know as much as I do because I’ve been sitting in on Pete’s debriefing settings, and those have all been focused on the warehouse district.”

Zexion pushed off from the wall, turning away from the building and starting to walk away, but the look he gave Roxas over his shoulder ordered him to follow. Roxas hurried to catch up, wondering what it was the man expected of him. He almost wished he _did_ have something to show them-- not to help Xemnas, but Zexion had always treated him decently enough. He was probably here under orders, just like everyone else involved in this whole thing. He’d have to remember to ask Ven about his partner later, once his brother was feeling up to it.

“It takes a certain kind of person to have the tenacity to apply for a place on my team,” Zexion said at last. His voice was quiet, but the brooding and slightly threatening tone was gone. “When people think to join for money, or for what they think will be an easy ride, they’re turned away. We are a close-knit unit, we live and die by the people who work with us day in, day out. We work only as a team, because when rogues emerge from our ranks, that’s when the issues begin. Your brother knew this.”

He stopped at the end of the block, turning to peer at Roxas one again, and placed a hand on his shoulder. “I’ve been impressed with the way you’ve handled things these past few months. It would be an honor to have you on my team.” He patted Roxas’ shoulder and gave him a small smile. “And we’re all looking forward to the next update.”

Roxas coughed, his face flushed. “You’re playing the game?” he asked, trying to mask the laugh in another cough.

“By the time you get your application in, I’m sure the entire office will be playing it. It is interesting to see what you’ve done,” Zexion confirmed, releasing Roxas at last. He waved and headed off to... wherever it was he came from, leaving Roxas wide-eyed and trembling in his wake. Roxas waited until the man had disappeared behind another corner before letting out a long breath, leaning against the building for support.

The entire office… meaning all of the cops in Radiant Gardens-- maybe even Xemnas himself-- was playing his stupid pet game. He didn’t know whether to laugh or vomit, his stomach flip-flopping as he thought over his code. Oh god, had he patched everything? Had he remember to obfuscate everything that went in? He’d have to go back and re-check everything, make sure it was all secure and encrypted so they couldn’t see all the functions and _shit that was close_. Whether or not he’d meant to do it, Zexion had ignited a fire under him, and Roxas raced back to his place to get back to his code, pausing only long enough to send Aqua a quick update.

He was just finishing up his check to ensure that, yes, everything was in order except for his (intentionally) missing comments when he got a reply from Squall. It was a confirmation that yes, the file would be uploaded to the school’s community site later that week with a request that people download and play it for a stress test, scheduled for the next week. They’d sort out the logistics of the test on Friday during their check-in session, and until then Squall wanted him to focus on cleaning up his code.

Roxas laughed--actually _laughed_ \-- when he realized that not one but _two_ major stressors had suddenly been lifted from his shoulders. He felt light, he felt free, he felt….like it would be boring to spend the evening alone.

He pulled out his phone and quickly sent Axel a quick text.

  * **_xx13 6:11 pm_** **:** So I’ve just had a coding breakthrough and wanna celebrate. What time are you off work? You wanna come over for a nightcap? ;)



He set the phone aside and refocused on checking his code, but that didn’t stop him from dropping everything when he eventually got a reply.

  * **_xx08 6:45 pm_** **:** _Do u even have anything other than soda lol_


  * **_xx13 6:48 pm_** **:** I still have ice cream cake
  * **_xx13 6:48 pm_** **:** Plus I think Sora got stuff to make those paopu milkshakes lol… maybe not the booze to go in it tho


  * **_xx08 6:51 pm_** **:** _Tempting, but Im not off work til midnight_



Roxas started typing his reply before Axel could finish whatever he was currently typing. He grinned as he sent it, although he hoped Axel would be willing to be persuaded against calling it an early night. Midnight wasn’t _that_ late, after all. He got Axel’s reply a second after hitting send, and he smiled at the invitation.

  * **_xx13 6:53 pm_** **:** I won’t turn into a pumpkin if that’s what you’re worried about. But if you need to go home and sleep, it’s ok


  * **_xx08 6:53 pm_** **:** _Think you could swing dinner at 8 tho? We’ve got an hour and would <3 to see you_


  * **_xx13 6:55 pm_** **:** Sure! See you then <3



A few hours later, Roxas met up with Axel outside of _Heartless_ as they were locking up shop. When Axel had said “we have an hour” he’d meant both Marluxia and Larxene, who greeted him as they all headed off to a local restaurant serving an assortment of rice dishes with mixed vegetables and meats.

Their presence made more sense when Demyx joined them shortly after they’d sat down, pulling out a folio with music sheets and handing them over to Marluxia for reading. As the other two read over the notes and hummed the tune under their breath, Demyx turned to Roxas with a bright smile.

“Your sister is the best!” he laughed, leaning over the table so he could look around Axel, who sat between the two of them. “Bubbles is already super happy with all the plants and stuff, and Sucky is settling right in-- hold on, I’ve got a picture.”

Roxas laughed, dutifully taking the phone and appreciating the… wow, over twenty pictures Demyx had taken of the new aquarium setup. He really didn’t get the attraction of fish, but even he could appreciate how much better the setup looked than the old fishbowl. After making appropriate noises of admiration, he handed the phone back to Demyx.

“You should text her the picture, let her see the shots you’ve gotten so far,” he suggested. He grabbed a slice of the flat bread and used it to scoop out some of the rice dish, chewing with appreciation as the spicy flavors burst over his tongue.

“Oh, I don’t think I ever got her number,” Demyx said, face flushed. “Can I send you the picture so you can--”

“Nope,” Roxas cut in, pulling out his own phone. “I don’t want to have to be the one to send you whatever pictures she’s managed to capture in the three days she’s had her camera. She once sent me a video of a detached starfish arm pulling itself across the lab counter and I am good with not seeing anymore gross stuff, thanks. Here,” he said, shooting Demyx a text with her number. “Now you can send her pictures directly and you don’t have to wait for me to send you her reply.”

“You don’t think it’ll be weird for me to randomly text her?” asked Demyx, frowning at his phone. Roxas shrugged.

“Just lead with a fish picture and I guarantee you you’ll catch her attention.”

“Yeah? And what picture would catch your attention?” Axel asked with an innocent smile. Roxas felt a slight burn blaze across his face, hearing the suggestion in the question, although apparently he was the only one who had, since Demyx piped up.

“Ice cream, right? Have you had a chance to try out the coffee creamer?”

“Yeah! I had it yesterday when I woke up, and this morning. It’s like having dessert for breakfast, it’s awesome, thanks again,” Roxas said, grateful for the escape, and Axel just grinned as Roxas shoveled in another mouthful of food. Did he want him to say ‘dick pics?’ Really? Roxas tried to steer the conversation to something a little less embarrassing, knowing this wasn’t the time or the place to ask Demyx about not turning into a tomato whenever sex was mentioned. Definitely not while he was in front of Axel or he might spontaneously combust.

“So anyway, are you guys working on new music for an album, or is there another show coming up?” he asked, turning from Demyx to the Marluxia and Larxene.

“Album work is our priority,” Marluxia replied, tapping the papers back together and slipping them into the folio before returning it to Demyx. “But we’ll still play a few gigs for Luxord. Pay is decent, booze is cheap, and it’s usually a good turnout-- publicity is never a bad thing. And the people his place draws, well, they can be inspiring.”

“We have the music-- you’ve more or less heard it, but we’re getting clean recordings, to replace the live versions,” said Larxene, stealing a tomato from Marluxia’s plate, although he pointedly ignored it. She gave Roxas a wicked grin before she popped it in her mouth. “Was there any song in particular that you’d wanna hear a clean version in a collection?”

“I, uh, I really liked that last song you did at the first concert I went to,” he said, very pointedly not looking at Demyx or Axel as he spoke. “I can’t remember what it was called, but I don’t think I’ve heard it again since that first night. The three of you sang it together?” he asked, hoping they would know which song he was talking about. When they nodded, he grinned. “I thought it worked really well, after building up your three styles to sort of.. I dunno, _culminate_ in that song, if that’s the right word?”

“Don’t you mean the _climax?_ ” cut in Axel before the others could speak, and the way he purred out the word brought heat back to Roxas’ face once again. Had he always said stuff like that and it had just never registered, or was he upping the ante for Roxas’ benefit?

“The _finale_ built up a crescendo and harmonized, since it’s sort of the theme piece of the collection,” Larxene agreed, ignoring Axel’s remark and talking over him. She gave Roxas an approving smile. “So you noticed that, huh?”

“I’m good with patterns,” he said. “Not so much actual music making, but I could tell that the beats and chords were sort of all woven together.”

“The ffet you eard waff probly cloff to what we’ll uffe,” said Demyx around a mouthful of bread. He gulped, then grinned. “Plus a couple new surprises! Gotta keep writing stuff if we’re gonna make it big.”

“Well, for what it’s worth I really like your stuff,” said Roxas. “When you’re super famous I’ll be able to point you out on the massive billboard and say that I know you.”

“More than know us, you drank with us-- _four_ of Lucky’s milkshakes no less, and no alcohol poisoning, which means you’ve earned our respect,” laughed Larxene. Roxas grinned, less because the memory of the milkshakes still sort of made his stomach turn, and more because Larxene was probably the only person who would think to-- and get away with-- calling Luxord ‘Lucky.’

“Demyx and Axel showed us your senior project,” said Marluxia, pulling the conversation back to business. “A clever idea, using a game as a marketing trick. But I’m still unclear as to how this pet game ties into the band, aside from the obvious use of the heartless sprite.”

“Oh! Well, I mean, it’s a work in progress…” admitted Roxas. He paused, trying to think of the best way to describe _why_ he was doing this that didn’t involve cybersecurity.

He was pretty sure they wouldn’t care about him doing a senior project that tied together everything he’d learned-- but it was their brand was at stake, so he probably should’ve asked the two of them if they were ok with it. Axel had offered to help and of course Demyx had been excited by the idea of it, but Marluxia and Larxene seemed to have a bit more of a business sense to everything. They’d be more interested in the value of the project, rather than the content.

“I mean, at the very least, it’s a good way to spread the word about your band, to get people recognizing the little heartless figure in its own right. Right now, it’s the name of your band, plus the name of the tattoo parlor, and people may know one without the other,” he said. When Marluxia gave a slight nod, he continued. “So having a game that sort of shows off everything you do in one go would help. You make it free to download, then you sort of… _tease_ your players with content that incorporates the shop and the music. And you always let them know where to go to learn more so they go back to your website or music channel or wherever you want to send them to buy your merch.”

Larxene raised an eyebrow, turning her phone around to show that she had the game running, her little heartless avatar fully bedecked in accessories. She’d dressed it up as a lightning mage, but there were also an alarming number of weapons (including the gunblades). He didn’t get a chance to puzzle that out as she spoke.

“So how does _this_ ,” she waggled her phone at him to emphasize her point, “tie back to the parlor or any of our music?”

“Well, it doesn’t, not yet,” he admitted. “Right now, it’s just getting people familiar with the heartless character and generating positive buzz around it. People share what they’ve done with their little character, which gets the name and image out there. But it’d be easy enough to add in a system that rewards players for loyalty, like..” He paused, trying to think of something they’d want to offer without having to actually spend any munny.

“I dunno, logging in every day for a month and you get a free temporary heartless tattoo, or share the app with people for a chance to win a copy of your new album. You’d have to get a marketing expert in to figure out the logistics and what people would actually want, but the groundwork is in place. It’s built so that it uses your email as part of the login process, so you can track your visitors and send them promotional stuff. Sorry, honestly, I didn’t think that far ahead, I just got the idea for it when I was talking to Axel--”

“No, dude, it’s a good idea!” Demyx cut off his apology, turning his phone to show Roxas his own heartless creature, which was still wearing some of alpha items Roxas had added at the blond’s insistence. “We can work with this, it’s just… we can’t pay you for your work til we actually, _you know_ , sell some albums.”

“Which we can’t do until we actually _get to the studio_ ,” said Larxene, although she didn’t look like she was in any rush to leave the table. Roxas didn’t want to get between… whatever it was between them, so he held up a hand.

“I didn’t make it to get paid. Just keep playing it and let me know if you run into bugs,” he said. “A passing grade and a few job interviews are all I need.”

“Well, you’ll be among the first to get a first press of the album,” Marluxia said, standing. “Lark is right, though-- we need to get over to the studio, we’ve only got twenty minutes until we’re scheduled.” He picked up the bill and ignored Roxas’ protest that he pay for his own meal, focusing on Axel instead. “Just take the night off. No one will bother coming in at this time on a Monday anyway.”

“You’re the boss!” Axel replied with a grin, clearly glad to accept his luck without protest. Marluxia nodded to them as he headed off to pay, leaving Larxene to pull Demyx to his feet.

“That’s our cue,” she said, taking a final sip from her glass before pushing Demyx head. He didn’t fight her, but he did turn back to wave at Axel and Roxas before they headed out the door.

Roxas and Axel also stood, loitering outside of the restaurant as they watched the three drive off towards their recording session. Axel turned to Roxas with a wide smile on his face.

“So, apparently my whole evening magically opened up, and while I’ve just had dinner, I _could_ go for some dessert.” He licked his lips, and Roxas felt his face burn. Axel leaned in, close enough to kiss, and kept his voice low. “Didn’t you say something about…. _birthday cake_?”

\-----

Xion called later that night-- much later than a normal person would call, but Roxas was used to going to bed several hours after midnight, and with the time difference and Xion’s early morning tendencies, she was just getting up for the day. Axel, however, had a more normal sleep schedule, and, mixed with the rigors of the evening, he didn’t even wake up completely when Roxas answered the call.

Roxas shifted into a sitting position and tried moving off the bed so he could take the call in the living room, but Axel tightened his hold around Roxas’ hips, burrowing his head further into Roxas’ hip. When it was clear that Axel wasn’t going to let him go, Roxas sighed and patted Axel’s head, who, after a few minor complaints, drifted back into a heavier sleep.

“Hey Xion,” Roxas greeted her, trying to keep his voice relatively quiet. “Getting back into the swing of things over there? Has the sun even risen yet?”

“I’ll be taking a sunrise breakfast on the boat with Ariel and the birds this morning,” Xion laughed, and he could hear her rustling around the room, no doubt collecting whatever odds and ends she’d need for the day. “Did you see Ven yesterday? How’d it go?”

“He… wasn’t so great,” Roxas admitted, and filled her in on Ven’s condition earlier that day. He left out the weird encounter with Zexion, but told her about dinner and his upcoming plans for the week. She chatted a bit about the project updates she’d returned to, but he could tell that there was another thing on her mind.

“So, um, did you get any weird mail lately?” she asked at last, and Roxas could hear the hesitation in her voice, and worried for a brief moment that he’d miscalculated in his suggestion over dinner.

“That was probably Demyx,” he said, hoping Demyx hadn’t sent all of the pictures even though he’d promised to only send one. “Did he not tell you who it was before he sent the picture? Sorry, I told him it wouldn’t be weird but I guess he figured out a way to make it awkward anyway.”

“What..? Oh, no, haha, I got all of the pictures of Bubbles, Sucky, and Sludge, thanks,” she laughed, some of the warmth returning to her voice. “No, I mean a letter. You didn’t get any weird _physical_ mail today?”

“No...?” he said, trying to think back. He… actually he’d forgotten to check for mail today, and he’d been too busy on Friday and Saturday to collect it. He’d have to run down in the morning to check the box. “Why, did you get a letter from a secret admirer?” he teased.

Axel mumbled in his sleep and tightened his grip around Roxas’ waist, muttering something unintelligible under his breath before burying his face deeper into the crease between Roxas’ thigh and hip. Roxas sucked in a breath but managed not to say anything, and shifted the phone to the other ear so he could free up his hand to gently move Axel’s head so that it sat a little more comfortably on his thigh. Axel sighed in his sleep, then stilled.

Xion, however, hadn’t noticed the distraction on his end. “I honestly don’t know. So, I got this strange padded envelope in the mail today,” she said, and he could hear the crinkle of paper as she probably picked up the item in question. “And it was weird because it was a birthday card. And it wasn’t signed or anything, but there was a mushy message addressed to me, and two one hundred munny notes.”

“Wow, a loaded secret admirer!” he laughed, but when she didn’t join in, he lost some of the humor in his voice. “Are you worried? Do you think you have a stalker or something?”

“No, nothing like that,” she said, and he heard the rustle of paper again. “But… the handwriting looked familiar, and when I went to check… I’m almost 100% sure that Ven sent me the letter. I mean, that, and the fact that he’s the only one who calls me Fishsticks.” She laughed. “And the message sounded like a dad telling his daughter he was proud of her, so completely maudlin and definitely Ven’s style. I just… I wonder how long ago he sent it? And why he arranged to have a card sent to me when we were already planning a party together back before, well, you know, before everything happened.”

Roxas frowned,absently  running fingers through Axel’s spiked hair as he thought aloud. “Yeah, that is really weird. No, no I haven’t gotten anything like that, not that I know of. I mean, I haven’t checked the box lately so maybe I did and I just missed it,” he admitted. “Was there anything else in it, other than the money and the note?”

“There was a USB stick,” she said, and Roxas froze, feeling a chill run up his spine. He hadn’t told Xion much about the veiled threats and implications Xemnas and the others had mentioned about Ven hiding files, so she wouldn’t know what she might be holding in her hand. He also didn’t want to alarm her, in case it was someone working _against_ Ven, Aqua, and Terra, pretending to be their brother to gain her trust.

“Tell me you didn’t plug it in,” he said, worried that her curiosity would get the better of her, no matter what he and Ven had tried drilling into her.

“Don’t be stupid, I wouldn’t put something unknown on my computer, I need it for research and I can’t risk it getting infected,” she said, and he relaxed until she continued, “I put it on Sora’s instead.”

“Xion!” he barked out, and Axel blinked awake, giving Roxas a bleary eyed glare. Roxas mouthed ‘sorry!’ and pulled the sheet up higher around Axel, meaning to disentangle their limbs so he could slip out into the living room, but Axel just repositioned himself so that he was firmly in Roxas’ lap, closing his eyes and settling in again. Roxas smiled despite his irritation with Xion, who was laughing on the other end of the phone.

“Relax,” she said when she’d caught her breath. “It’s an old computer that he stopped using ages ago, it doesn’t connect online anymore and it doesn’t have any data or pictures or anything on it, so we figured it would be ok.”

“We? Sora is in on this too?” He asked, pinching the bridge of his nose.

“Well, _yeah_ , I wasn’t going to steal his computer and plug some stick of unknown origin into it,” she replied. “He watched with me when we booted it up and connected it.”

“Yeah? So, could you tell what was on it?” he asked, trying not to sound too interested, hoping he succeeded.

“I think it’s some sort of…. I dunno, ‘Desktop cleanup for dummies’ program?” she guessed, and he could hear the click of keys on the other end. “You remember that old word processing program we used to have growing up, the one with the dancing stapler?”

“Augh, yes, I hated that thing with a passion,” Roxas said, remembering the day he’d finally found the bit of code to permanently disable the feature.

“Yeah, well, it sort of seems like a program like that, something that’s meant to help you…. I dunno, sort your life out. He reorganized Sora’s desktop and it’s booting, like, six times faster than it was.”

“He?” Roxas asked, trying to imagine what she might be seeing. Usually programs like that had boxes and simple GUIs to help the user pick and choose what they wanted to do. This one-- the stapler avatar wannabe-- sounded like it proactively took control of the system. He’d have to get a copy, just to mess around with the code and see what it was _really_ up to.

“The little avatar guy, he says his name is TRON,” she replied. “He sort of just… wanders around the desktop, and he’s cycled through a couple of idle animations. If I didn’t know any better, I’d say he was bored.”

Roxas frowned. TRON was most likely an acronym, but that didn’t really narrow down what it could be. It could mean “Trace On” or “The Real-Time Operating System Nucleus”, but neither of those really made sense in this context.

“You’ve interacted with it?” he asked, trying to imagine what she saw.

“Yeah, at first I was using the box to type stuff but then he helped us get the speakers and mic working again so we’ve been talking back and forth,” she said. Roxas frowned.

“That… that’s really weird. And you said it’s called TRON? Can you ask it what it stands for, and if there’s a place where you can look at who wrote the code?”

“One sec, I need to grab the computer!” she said. He heard her muffled voice from over the line. “ _Hey, what does TRON stand for? My brother wants to know. Haha, really? Ok. He also wants to know if there’s like, a user’s guide or anything that says who wrote your program. What? Fine! There’s no need to get snippy!”_

He heard her huff as she came back on the line with him “TRON stands for Truly Remarkable Operator NPC,” she said. “And he says it’s rude to ask who wrote him, and that he’ll only answer to the User.”

“Did you try uninstalling it?” he asked, wondering what the hell kind of software was on that USB stick.

“I mean, I would, except that I can’t figure out _where_ to uninstall him,” she said. “I tried looking on the USB stick to see if there’s an uninstaller on that, but everything looks like it’s encrypted and needs a password or token or something to look at them. And I asked him how to get him off of the computer and he said that there was no need to remove him because he would make the system work better. So if I send it to you, do you think you can take a look and figure out if this is some evil spyware thing, or if it’s really just Mr. Stapler 2.0?”

Roxas hesitated, drumming his fingers on his knee, trying to decide what the best course of action would be. On the one hand, he’d like to see this weird program-- it sounded almost like a new type of AI, and while he knew that Ven had messed around with programs like that to help him organize files, they were all low level and kind of stupid, fit only for repetitive tasks and jobs that required minimal learning.

On the other hand, there was no saying that Ven _had_ written a program like that, and if someone had mailed Xion something in the hopes of getting uploaded to Ven’s personal machine, Roxas had no idea of what it might do or try to find. He could go back to Cid’s Junk Shop and get a small portable laptop, something he could kill as needed, and then play around with it, see what this TRON thing was about. But if Ven _had_ written it….

“Is the computer still on?” he asked. “Ask him about Ven. Does he know who Ventus Lux is?”

She came back on a few minutes later. “He says Ventus Lux is a registered operator, and he’s awaiting further user input.”

Roxas’ heart thudded in his chest. This… this might be it. Buried under all the weird overlay of a quirky AI program, Xion might have the key to getting to the bottom of Ven’s mystery, the thing that he’d been working on. He tried not to sound too excited when he spoke again.

“I’d like to see it, yeah, but I don’t really wanna risk something like that in the mail. Think you could bring it back with you next month?”

“I mean, yeah, I can, but what am I supposed to do with it in the meantime?” she asked.

“Don’t connect it to an online source, but if it’s an AI or something, maybe you can download some books and then transfer them over for him to read. Teach it about fish,” suggested Roxas. ”I’ll take a look when you bring it over.”

They chatted a bit longer, Xion promising not to let the program run rampant or to install it on anything else, and Roxas hung up more awake than before. This time, he managed to gently shift Axel out of his lap and pulled on some pj pants before padding into the kitchen to make himself some tea.

He thought he’d been quiet, but Axel stumbled in a few minutes later and wrapped his arms around him, resting his cheek on the top of Roxas’ head.

“So tha--at sounded like an exciting conversation from what I heard,” he mumbled through a yawn into Roxas’ hair. “Something about a talking stapler?”

“Xion downloaded a weird program on Sora’s computer and wants to know if I can remove it,” Roxas said, stirring in sugar and dunking the tea bag a few times for good measure. “Sorry I woke you up. You want something to drink, or are you gonna go back to bed?”

“You should join me,” Axel said, pulling Roxas closer and nuzzling his neck. “Gotta be up early tomorrow.”

“Mm, in a bit,” agreed Roxas. He took a long sip from his mug, thinking over his conversation with Xion. “I just wanna take some notes about some ideas that came to me while I was talking to her, then I’ll be in. Sorry,” he said, squeezing Axel’s arms around his stomach, “This is, um… different for me. I’m not used to keeping normal sleep habits and I’ve sorta gotten used to being the only one here.”

“I’m used to weird hours, it’s just been a long couple of days,” Axel sighed into Roxas’ hair. “A _good_ couple of days, but long. If Ven isn’t up to a session tomorrow, I’ll probably just kill two birds with one stone and work on another canvas while I’m there.”

“Yeah, I dunno how functional he’ll be, I need to ask Aerith if there’s anything we can do to help him through these spells.” He sighed, swirling the tea in his mug. “It’s gotta suck to wake up and not know what day it is, or if you’ve lost time or something. I know I’d be scared, but Ven is always the brave one-- since he hasn’t had a panic attack or anything so far, I’m hoping that means he feels comfortable enough where he is that he isn’t too upset when he wakes up alone.”

Axel shifted his hands along Roxas’ chest and hip to pull him flush, then nuzzled the nape of his neck. “Do you think he should be worried?”

“Well, I mean, he’s been attacked at least once, possibly twice,” Roxas replied, squirming as Axel’s hands got dangerously close to ticklish areas. “He has _military_ grade protection on his hospital room, limited mobility at the moment, and his boss is kinda… I dunno, intense? Like, I know he’s smart but he also sort of creeps me out.”

“You sure you wanna work under him, then?” Axel asked, fingers trailing back towards their original targets. “Don’t you want to say ‘fuck it’ to all of this and become a game designer? I know a guy who could hook you up.”

Roxas snorted, sliding his fingers between Axel’s to stop them before they made it to his stomach. “One, if I don’t get a job with the Academy, I have to pay back all of my scholarship munny, which would suck big time. Two, no, I think I like playing games more than designing them, even if it’s for a good cause. And three….” he trailed off, then shrugged when he couldn’t think of anything else.

“He doesn’t scare me, and the work they do is important. I wanna keep the city safe, it’s what Ven always talked about-- even doing simple stuff like coding and data encryption means that you’re helping to keep everyone in Radiant Gardens safe.”

He felt Axel’s chuckle, and even though he knew he _should_ stay up and take notes, he also knew that he’d have plenty of time in the morning to write down his thoughts. He let Axel pull him back to the bedroom, and although they didn’t do anything except cuddle under the thin sheet, he was surprised how quickly he was able to fall back asleep when his head hit the pillow.

 

It was a little more difficult to leave the bed the next morning. Not so much in that he was _tired_ ; the bed was comfy, yes, and he hadn’t gotten as much sleep as he’d wanted. But the biggest factor keeping him in bed was that Axel was playing the part of pillow again, and Roxas sprawled atop him. This wouldn’t have been an issue, of course, but Axel was a _clingy_ pillow, arms coming up to hold Roxas in place as he tried to slip out of bed.

“Axel…. Let go, I need to get up,” he said, gently prodding his grumbly pillow.

“Nng,” Axel muttered, tightening his grip instead of releasing it. He fell back into sleep after affirming that Roxas wasn’t going anywhere, which would have been sweet if, you know, Roxas didn’t actually need to get up.

Roxas sighed. “I’ve gotta go get ready for practice,” he said a little louder this time, figuring if Axel was really that tired he could fall back asleep easily enough once Roxas got up. He wriggled, trying to see if he could slide down through Axel’s arms and escape that way, but Axel brought a leg up and trapped him in place.

“Ten more minutes,” he mumbled, but his voice was clearer now, and Roxas could see the hint of a smile.

“Axel, get off--OOF,” Roxas got cut off as Axel rolled him over and trapped him on the bed. Axel shifted until Roxas was effectively pinned under him, and chuckled, the low rumble rolling over Roxas as he tried to free himself.

“You should get more sleep, I don’t understand how are you still going this early in the morning after such a late night,” said Axel, although it was more of a murmur than anything else. He nestled his head against Roxas’ shoulder, closing his eyes again. “S’bad for your health. Go back to sleep.”

“Three pieces of ice cream birthday cake is bad for your health,” countered Roxas as he shifted to move his arms out from Axel’s weight. “And Cloud is expecting me.”

“Ice cream cake is good for the _soul_ ,” countered Axel, clearly more awake than he was letting on, although he seemed content enough to keep Roxas trapped in a bear hug.

“But not for your core muscles,” sighed Roxas, “which means you need to _move_.” He said this as he got his hands under Axel and pushed, hard, essentially lifting Axel off of him. He rolled Axel off to the side and finally managed to get out of bed. He turned to see a very surprised expression on the man’s face as he sat up.

“Dude, did you just fucking _bench press_ me?” Axel asked, grin spreading across his face. “That’s…. kinda hot.”

Roxas laughed, grabbing clothes from his dresser and sticking them in his workout bag, then chose another outfit to wear to the gym. Axel didn’t seem to be in much of a hurry to get up, and as much fun as it might be to go back to bed, he really did have to meet with Cloud. Roxas settled for sticking out his tongue, then headed off into the bathroom to wash up and get ready.

He was in the middle of brushing his teeth when he heard the telltale rumble of a cell getting a message, then another. He couldn’t quite remember where he’d left his phone, but it was probably Namine, trying to coordinate a meet up later that afternoon, once she was done at the hospital and he was done with practice.

“Hey, I think you got a message,” Axel called from the living room. Roxas made a noise of acknowledgement, mouth full of toothpaste, but figured whoever it was could hold on for five minutes. He didn’t expect Axel to appear in the door with the phone, an odd frown on his face.

“Isn’t this your crappy test phone? Who would be contacting you on this?” Axel asked, holding up the burner phone Roxas used to contact Aqua. _Shit shit shit_ . Fortunately, it was an older model that required you enter a key code before you could read the message, so whatever Aqua had contacted him about would stay private. It was probably just a quick update on what they’d uncovered from Ven’s desktop (or maybe info on how they’d managed to get it), but he certainly wasn’t going to be looking up _those_ messages with Axel around.

Roxas shrugged and kept brushing, trying to play it cool as his mind raced for some sort of explanation. A minute later he spit out the foam, wiping away dribble with the back of his hand.

“I have a beta tester who’s helping me stress test functionality on crappy phones,” he said, taking the phone and setting it on the counter. “She’s probably just trying out a new feature I’m working on, sending small files to friends in-game. I’ll check it later.” He smiled up at Axel, shifting over to make room. “Did you need the sink?”

Axel laughed, shaking his head. “I need to run home and get my shit together so I can get to Namine’s on time-- I promised her I’d pick her up on the way and help her take her stuff into Ven’s.”

Roxas frowned, remembering his brother the day before. “Will you text me and let me know how he is? I figured I would try to swing by after practice, but I need to check in with Leonhart briefly after I finish up with Cloud. I wanna see him, but if he’s not doing well I don’t wanna tire him out.”

“I’m sure he’d be happy to see you no matter what,” replied Axel, voice gentle. He reached out and gripped Roxas’ shoulder, giving it a quick squeeze. “But yeah, we’ll text, let you know how it’s going. It wasn’t so bad last time, maybe this week he’ll be bouncing back faster.”

“Maybe,” agreed Roxas, although his heart wasn’t really in it. Axel pulled him in for a quick peck and hug, then broke away with a sigh.

“He’s doing better, you’ve gotta remember that,” he reminded Roxas. “Six months ago, you still weren’t sure if he was gonna make it. Now, for better or worse, he’s recovered enough to type out _exactly_ what he’s thinking, and heaven help you if you manage to piss him off.”

Roxas laughed, losing some of the tension in his shoulders. “True enough,” he said, then made shooing motions, pushing Axel out of the room. He turned off the light and picked up his bag again, tossing the phone in with his workout clothes and hoping Axel wouldn’t ask about it again. “But your immediate worry is Namine if you’re late.”

“Is this your subtle way of telling me you’re kicking me out?” laughed Axel, though he was already picking up his keys and shrugging into his jacket.

“I mean, you _did_ eat the last of my birthday cake,” replied Roxas, picking up his regular phone and keys, then locking up as they headed out of the apartment. “Besides, you’ve spent more time over here than at your own place since, like, Friday. I’ve gotta make sure you don’t get bored with me.”

“Not gonna happen any time soon,” promised Axel. He paused by his bike to get his helmet on, then gave Roxas another kiss. “Besides, we’re still on for dinner tonight, right? I’ll talk to Namine, I think she mentioned a new cafe nearby she wanted to try. That way, if you’re boring I’ll still have someone to talk to.”

“Get out of here,” laughed Roxas. “Text me when you break for lunch and lemme know how things are going, or I’ll text you guys when I get done with Cloud.”

He waved Axel off and kept his hand up until the motorcycle was down the street and out of sight, then headed off towards the trolley station. As he walked, he dug out the old phone and typed in his passcode, reading the messages before dialing the number. It went directly to voicemail, but he figured it would anyway.

“Hey, it’s me. I got your messages, that works for me, just send me the stuff and I’ll see what I can do. I might have a new lead, too. I’ll let you know when I have more info.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've run out of lines from "Anthem," so the titles are gonna be a nod towards some of Squeenix's songs from various games. First up is from Chrono Trigger. 
> 
> **[I also wrote a short ficlet for the holidays,](http://archiveofourown.org/works/12300699/chapters/30239088)** not quite canon to the story but in the same universe, just for fun. Hope everyone has a lovely holiday season!  <3
> 
> One more thing, we've officially gone over the 100k mark! Who knew a oneshot would get so long... haha.


	12. Fragments of Memory

Roxas arrived at the gym technically on time, but still later than he would’ve liked, and clearly later than Cloud had expected, given the surprised look on his face as Roxas ran into the locker room and started peeling off clothes to get into his workout attire.

“Sorry! I ran here so I should be warmed up enough, I’ll be out in two minutes!” he promised. Cloud had only stared at him for a minute, then laughed-- _laughed!_ \-- but waved away Roxas’ confused expression, heading out into the gym.

“It’s fine, I’ll meet you out there,” he promised. Roxas donned his gear in record time, then jogged out to meet Cloud on the mats, hoping the quick run on the way over really would be enough to loosen his limbs.

Cloud decided to test it out, too, starting off the match with a movement so fast it was pure dumb luck and instinct that allowed Roxas to deflect the blow. He ground his teeth, and parried the attack with a move of his own. He had to focus-- Cloud always expected his top performance, and he’d had far too much ice cream cake this weekend. It was probably just as well that Axel had eaten the last of it.

Still, the session didn’t go as terribly awry as it could have, and when they broke for cool down stretches, Cloud seemed to be in a relatively good mood, despite their late start. Good enough that Roxas felt confident asking for his advice on a subject that might be too uncomfortable for the man to talk about-- important,  but also intrusive.

“Hey Cloud, can I ask you something, um, personal?” Roxas asked as they stowed their gear in the gym lockers. Cloud paused, tilting his head and watching him closely, the slight pull at the corner of his lip suggesting the barest hint of a smile.

“Is this about the hickies you’re sporting?” Cloud asked, a little more of the smile breaking through his attempts to stifle it. Roxas flushed and clapped a hand to his neck where Axel had apparently gone to town on him, but Cloud just chuckled, pulling out a fresh towel and draping it over his shoulder. He patted Roxas’ arm, gently nudging him aside to grab the helmet on the bench and place it back into his locker. “Because if it is, your love life seems to be doing fine. If you’re worried about it showing, though, I suggest going to a drug store and looking for concealers that matches your skin tone.”

“Um, no, that’s not, ah… crap.” Roxas sighed and shifted the collar of his shirt up to conceal whatever marks he could. Then, he pinched the bridge of his nose, trying to force the blush across his cheeks down. “No, I really don’t want to talk to you about my love life, if it’s all the same to you. It’s Ven. I wanted to ask about, um… I mean, when you were recovering from things, do you remember… um, I mean, how much do you remember on days when you were, ah….” he trailed off, not really sure how to tactfully go about asking what he wanted to know, but Cloud seemed to understand.

He stilled as he extracted the shower caddy, then put it carefully on the seat, tapping his fingers on the plastic handle for a few heartbeats before replying. “It was… hazy,” he admitted at last. “There were times when I could remember and understand what was going on but I couldn’t move, and then there were times that I’d ‘wake up’ in the middle of doing something, with no memory of what I’d been doing or how I got there. I had conversations I couldn't  remember, started liking foods I'd never liked, things like that, but Bunansa and Venat didn’t really have any explanation of what was going on either, and none of their other patients seemed to have the same reactions. It might’ve had something to do with my exposure to toxins-- the warehouse with the fire was a storage facility, right?”

“There were MAKO containers waiting for deployment, yeah,” Roxas said, shoving the rest of his gear in the locker and closing up. “They tested him for MAKO poisoning at the start, but since the new treatment includes minute amounts of it, he’s showing symptoms of stuff that showed up in your, ah, _case study_.”

Cloud remained silent at that, his eyes going unfocused as he frowned at some uncomfortable memory. Roxas didn’t doubt that they were unhappy times-- no one would enjoy feeling that helpless, and Cloud had been in and out of the hospital for almost two years-- the first year being actual recovery, and the second more or less becoming a lab rat to determine why the treatment had worked so well. Still, he usually seemed happy enough now, so that meant Ven had a chance at normalcy, too, right?

“Do you think there’s anything I can do to help him?” he asked when Cloud seemed to come back to himself. “Does writing stuff down help? Would it help if I left him a notebook that described, like, everything that’s happened? What can I do to help him get better, or help him when he’s not… you know?”

Cloud gave him a long, considering look, but Roxas didn't think he was irritated with the question. “You’re a good kid, Lux,” Cloud replied at last. He patted Roxas on the shoulder again, sympathetic smile back on his face. “I can’t really help you, though. I don’t really remember a lot from those early months of recovery, it’s something that I really can’t describe, and what I do remember was… unique to the circumstances of my situation. I can’t promise that the things I experienced will happen to your brother, or advise you more about how he might react or feel.”

Roxas nodded, ducking his head to hide his face as he finished gathering up his things. He knew it’d be a long shot, of course, but Ven had been _so close_ before, and the treatment seemed to require three steps back for every bit of progress forward. Cloud’s hand held onto his shoulder, though, rooting him to the spot and startling him from his thoughts.

“If you want, and if he's willing, I can talk to Ven directly. I can’t promise that it’ll help, but I can tell him my own experiences, let him know more about what it was like for me.” Cloud shut his locker door, then picked up his shower caddy. “Anyway, we’re calling it a day, so go on, get outta here. But stop by Leonhart’s before you leave, he said he had an update or something for your submission packet, so you may as well grab it before you go.”

Roxas tried not to groan, really not looking forward to dealing with yet MORE paperwork, but he dutifully promised Cloud he would swing by Squall’s office before leaving campus. He had to drop off more USBs with the program anyway, but he wasn’t looking forward to the inevitable lecture that always came with a visit to his advisor.

They hadn’t always been this bad, but ever since Ven’s accident, it had been as though Cloud and Squall took turns trying to fill in the role of older brother, which would’ve been fine if didn't already _have_ an older brother, or if he’d actually _wanted_ someone to nag him about Every. Little. Thing. Which… he didn’t.

Fortunately, the door to Squall’s office was closed, the light dark, so he simply shoved the USBs through the mail slot, then shot Leonhart a quick text, telling him that the latest files were laying on the floor of his office, and to email him whatever files it was he’d need to fill out. He then made a quick exit, head low, hoping that he’d be able to avoid bumping into the man at the last minute.

He made it outside and a few blocks away from campus before he deemed he was probably safe from having to go back if he got a text telling him Squall had returned to his office. Satisfied that he’d avoided another unpleasant ‘you should consider more options than just the academy’ lecture, he pulled out his phone and shot Axel and Namine a quick text, asking how things were going. A few minutes later, he received a reply from Namine.

> **_xx18 11:08 am_ ** **:** _We’re all drawing, but Ven hasn’t spoken to either of us. Not sure if that’s a good sign or a bad sign. He’s drawing an illustration, really focused, so he’s getting some exercises in_
> 
> _**xx18 11:09 am** **:** We could break for lunch soon, though, if you want to swing by_
> 
> **_xx08 11:11 am_ ** **:** **_Yess come for food I'm starving_**
> 
> **_xx13 11:13 am_ ** **:** You ate like two hours ago
> 
> **_xx08 11:15 am_ ** **:** _ **Ice cream cake isn't really a balanced breakfast tho**_
> 
> **_xx18 11:16 am_ ** **:** _I'm going to stop you there before you two take this to places a group chat shouldn't go. Roxas, we'll see you soon!_

Roxas laughed, turning off his phone. He headed to the trolley, figuring it would cut down on travel time and let them eat that much sooner.

He found them in their usual setup: Namine over by the windows, Axel stretched out in the bedside chair, and Ven propped up in bed. Apparently today was one of _those_ days, where he'd refused to leave the bed to complete the exercise, and it had probably taken Namine a good thirty minutes to get Ven to agree to drawing at all. Getting him to willingly move to a chair for better positioning was clearly not in the cards for today. Roxas only hoped that they weren't using materials that would stain.

He greeted the three of them, Axel and Namine returning the hello. Ven ignored him, continuing to draw what could only be described as an abstract picture of a cityscape. Roxas hugged him anyway, then walked over to see what Namine and Axel were up to.

Namine had drawn the view out of the window, cropping the composition to show the academy's tower rising above the houses and buildings below. It was really good, but then she'd always been great at art.

Axel's work was a little more confusing, with dark shapes taking up a third of the work, looking as though they were shadows escaping a portal of darkness.

“So what, ah, is it that you’re drawing?” Roxas asked, squinting at the abstract lines and tumble of shadows on the canvas. He knew that Axel would eventually shape it all into something recognizable and probably startlingly impressive-- he always did, usually once he started in with paints-- but it was still fun to tease him about it. Axel stuck out his tongue, shifting the canvas away from view to protect it from further critique. He wagged the pencil at Roxas as he replied.

“Ok, before you start, you can't really give anyone any shit because from what I remember only _one_ of us in the room rage quit on a drawing exercise, and it sure as hell wasn’t me.”

“It’s not _my_ fault I suck at drawing,” Roxas laughed, leaning over to look at the sketch again. ”I don’t have time to sit down and practice drawing circles and stuff, I have school stuff and work to do, unlike some _other_ people I--”

“Roxas.”

The voice was low and husky, clearly a strain on damaged vocal cords, but loud enough to interrupt their conversation. Their heads snapped up and over to Ven, who’d abandoned his painting and had turned to look at them, a focused expression on his face. He pointed to the chair, movement slow and deliberate. “Sit.”

Roxas stumbled over to sit by Ven’s side, but Ven’s gaze had already moved past him, landing on Namine and Axel. At the sight of the latter, Ven’s eyes narrowed. He dragged his hand back to point towards the door, eyes locked on Axel. “Out.”

Axel gave Roxas a startled look, but he shrugged, picking up his gear and going into the hall. Namine hesitated, exchanging a worried look with Roxas, but followed Axel out after collecting her sketchbook. Roxas settled down by his brother, moving the drawing out of the way.

“Hey, are you feeling better? Lemme get your console thing, I dunno if you should be talking, Aerith said you shouldn’t strain yourself too much--”

“Why was he here?” Ven pressed, apparently unwilling to use the communicator for this, or so focused on Axel’s departure that he’d forgotten it to pick it up. Roxas had been with him on speech sessions long enough to know his limits, though, and since Ven seemed determined, it would probably be best to just answer his questions, rather than argue the point.

“He’s been coming with Namine for most of your art therapy sessions, remember? He’s working on pieces for his show and keeping you guys company.”

“Don’t trust him.”

Roxas frowned, but Ven didn’t elaborate. His brother’s hands were in balled into fists, paintbrush dropped on the apron that draped across the bed, protecting the sheets. Something distressed him, but what could’ve happened in the last few days to put his brother in such a state, Roxas couldn’t imagine.

“Why, did something happen?”

“He tried… to take you away,” Ven said, which made even less sense, but Roxas’ heart sunk at the desperate tone of Ven’s voice. Did that mean that he _knew_ about him and Axel, and that he didn’t approve? It stung, but it wouldn’t keep him from dating whom he liked.

“He’s not taking me away, you know I’m here for you, no matter what,” he promised, reaching over to hold Ven’s hand. He gave it a squeeze. “You won’t be rid of me that easily.”

“Where’s Xi?”

“She flew back to the islands on Sunday, remember? She’ll be back in a month for a long weekend,” Roxas reminded him, trying to follow the train of thought but not really sure where the conversation was going. “Is everything ok? Did you need me to ask her something?”

“She’s…. with Sora?” Ven asked, his hands loosening at last, eyes clouding with confusion.

Roxas gave Ven’s hand another squeeze. “Well, I think she’s technically at sea for a couple of days with her boss, but when they go ashore, yeah, she’ll be back with Sora, Kairi, and Riku. They’ve got that beach shack, remember?”

“Why was he here?” Another turn in the conversation. Roxas resisted a sigh; Aerith had _told_ him this was normal. It wasn’t Ven’s fault that he was jumping from thought to thought. He only hoped that as time passed and the treatments ended, these episodes would happen less and less often.

“Why was who here?” he asked, trying to keep the frustration from his voice.

“Reno.”

Roxas frowned, casting a quick glance towards the door before looking back at Ven. “Reno? Why would Reno visit you--” and then things fell into place.

Axel. Ven thought Axel was his older brother, Reno. Reno, from Child Services, who’d told Ven he wasn’t old enough to care for them when their parents had been killed. Reno, who’d tried to take them away from Ven. That had been almost ten years ago, but apparently the betrayal of trust was still strong for Ven, at least while he was like this.

“That was Axel, Reno’s younger brother,” he explained. “Your best friend in high school, remember? He’s been visiting for months, once he found out you were here.”

“Axel,” Ven repeated, and it wasn’t a question so much as an affirmation, but Roxas could see the worry start to ease out of his brother’s frame.

“Axel,” he assured, and smiled, thinking about the redhead in question. “He’s been a big help with everything, I owe him a lot.”

“You're friends with Axel?”

“We've gotten to be really close, yeah,” Roxas replied, which wasn't quite the whole truth, of course, but Ven didn't need the mental image of his little brother making out with his former best friend right now.

Still, the look Ven gave him suggested that even in his slightly confused state, he was able to read something into the guarded reply. Roxas wouldn’t say anything now, not when Ven was still half-convinced that Axel was his older brother, but he’d have to address the elephant in the room at some point. Just... not now. Still, Ven paused before simply saying, “Just be careful.”

Which…. Was sort of a blessing? It wasn't a warm reception, but it also wasn't an outright ‘Don’t see him anymore’ either, so Roxas would take what he could get and go from there. Unsure of what to say, he turned his attention to the picture Ven had been working on.

“So what're you working on, is this a…. castle thing?”

“Kingdom Hearts.”

“Kingdom Hearts?” Roxas asked, feeling his heart beat a little faster. Ven hadn’t mentioned this ‘Kingdom Hearts’ place since the first time he spoke to Roxas after waking up, no matter how hard Roxas had pressed. To see him _drawing_ a reference to it… he wondered if there was some sort of significance to that, and how he was supposed to ask and still maintain Ven’s healthy fear of surveillance. He’d have to try to find out what it was without making it seem like it was the focus of his search. “What is it, some place you’ve visited?”

“The key.”

“The key to what?”

And Ven gave him a look that clearly said ‘ _don't be an idiot_ ,’ then sighed and pulled at the smock over his clothes, dragging it off and dropping it to the floor. Then, he leaned back in the bed, pulling the blanket up as he turned away from Roxas. “Tired,” he said, his raspy voice coming out even more strained than before.

“You've overdone it today, this is why Aerith said not to talk yet,” chided Roxas, still trying to puzzle out what secret Ven had let slip. Clearly there was something there, but he either was too thick to understand, or he lacked the background to understand the reference. He’d have to go over his notes and research again, to see if there were any references to a castle…. Building…. Thing. Ven wasn’t the best at art either; it must’ve run in the family. “Get some rest, yeah? Do you feel up to me coming by later tonight, or should I just come back tomorrow and let you rest the rest of the day?”

“Morning,” mumbled Ven. He closed his eyes and effectively ended the conversation, leaving Roxas sitting and trying to figure out what clues he might’ve missed. He looked at the painting, but honestly, all it looked like was a really, _really_ bad attempt at a building with triangles on it. Like… preschool level art, which wasn’t fair, since this was an _exercise_ meant to help rebuild muscles and motor skills but still…. Deciphering codes from a painting that was so bad would be painful.

With Ven no longer speaking to him and the illustration not giving up any clues, Roxas had little to do beyond say goodbye. He leaned forward, gave Ven a quick hug, then headed out the door. The Turk on duty gestured down the hall, which Roxas took to mean that the other two had gone to the cafeteria to wait. He mumbled a ‘see you’ to the guards (who ignored him), then headed down the hall to find his friends.

“So what was that about?” asked Axel when Roxas  joined them.

“He thought you were Reno,” Roxas replied, taking out his phone to send Aerith a quick update on Ven's behavior. “I don't think he's ever forgiven him for… well, you know.”

“Doing his job?” Axel asked, but held up a hand to stop any complaints from either of them. “Relax, I get it, I just… that's a long time to hold a grudge. And besides, Reno didn’t like it any better than Ven, he joined the Turks ages ago. Pay was better and it was less emotionally draining, or so he says.”

“He's confused,” said Roxas. “I don’t think he realized how much time had passed. Cloud said he had spells like this, and offered to talk to him, if Ven was up to it.”

“He is getting better, though,” soothed Namine. “It's been a while since I've heard him talk that much.”

“And Aerith will probably yell at him for it, since he's not supposed to strain himself. And he’ll probably regret it, too, once the fogginess goes away again and he wakes up to an irritated throat.” Roxas sighed, then stood, gesturing towards the exit. “Anyway, you guys want to go?”

They made a quick stop at the car to drop off the art supplies -- “We can keep working at my place if you want,” Namine promised -- before heading down the street, opting to walk and take advantage of the unseasonably cool weather. Roxas walked between them, content to hear them chatter about art stuff that really didn’t make a whole lot of sense to him, but he could tell they were passionate about it. This left his mind free to wander back to Ven, then to Cloud.

Cloud hadn’t seemed that keen on visiting, but maybe if he talked to Aerith about it, she would convince Cloud to actually go. They _were_ living together, so if Roxas put the bug in her ear, maybe she’d be willing to suggest it. They both got… ‘weird’ wasn’t the right word, but things definitely got a little more tense whenever he alluded to Cloud’s recovery. But if it was for the good of a current patient….

Roxas tuned back into the conversation as they rounded the corner, and caught the tail end of Axel’s description of the restaurant. “Yeah, so, apparently this is a combo rotating sushi bar and hibachi place, if you’re feeling fancy,” Axel said, miming the conveyor belt and the grill respectively. “Since it’s just lunch, we should probably do the sushi bar, but we can always come back for--”

“Axel, is that you?”

Roxas felt Axel stiffen beside him, but the red head was all smiles and hugs when he turned and greeted the blonde woman. He walked back a few paces down the sidewalk to give her a hug and kiss on the cheek. The _very pretty_ blonde woman, who kept her hand on Axel’s arm as she beamed up at him, clearly pleased to see him after what must have been a long time.

Roxas bit down on his lip and crossed his arms, looking away to give them privacy but really, _really_ wishing he could hear what they were saying. It was friendly, clearly, if the woman’s tittering laugh was anything to go by, and the warm tones of Axel’s responses suggested that he was delighted to have a chance to talk to her.

Still, he didn’t think there was anything to worry about. Axel had been flirting with him for months and probably wouldn’t get over those feelings after only three days of officially dating, but her familiarity with Axel put Roxas on edge, and as much as he hated to admit it, he _did_ feel a bit jealous. Mostly because she was clearly someone from Axel’s past, which he knew next to nothing about. He knew Axel, but not what had _made_ him Axel.

...Well, ok, it didn’t really make sense when he tried to rationalize it out in his head, but the idea of Axel realizing that he wasn’t as funny or smart or sophisticated as the other people he’d been with before wasn’t so entirely out of the realm of possibilities. This lady was really pretty, and clearly had an interest in Axel. Axel’s feelings towards her were…. difficult to ascertain.

Did Axel even like women? It had never come up, not in any earlier conversations they’d had, and even after they did, ah… _stuff_ , Roxas was still having a hard time talking about sex. He certainly didn’t feel up to asking ‘so how many people _have_ you slept with?’, since that wasn’t really any of his business, and Axel hadn’t volunteered the information. Granted, it had only been a few days and they hadn’t done a lot of candid conversation after that first night, but he _was_ curious.

Namine nudged him, but he couldn’t figure out what, precisely, she was trying to tell him. Did she expect him to go over there and insinuated himself between the two friends, to make it clear that Axel was unavailable and his? Or was that a “He’s only talking to her, don’t be jealous and get that irritated look off your face.”

Honestly, it could be either of those, but Axel was coming back, pretty lady in tow, and Roxas stiffened, pulling himself a little higher as the two joined them. He did notice that while the woman held onto Axel’s arm as they walked, Axel artfully disengaged from her hold. He opted to swing an arm around Roxas’ shoulders instead, and even Roxas could pick up the possessive implications of the gesture.

“Rose, lemme introduce you to Roxas and Namine. Namine’s finishing up the same program you did at the Academy,” he said. Rose smiled at the two of them, holding out a delicate and perfectly manicured hand to greet them both.

“A pleasure to meet a fellow artist,” Rose said, voice was light and breathy and probably would be considered sexy if you were into that kind of thing, since she was even prettier up close. Roxas swallowed and forced himself to smile as she turned to him, hand extended. “And are you a painter as well?”

“Computer Science,” he said, and he saw the interest die in her eyes, though the smile remained in place. She promptly dismissed him with a “Nice to meet you” and then turned back to her kindred spirits, falling into an animated discussion about the painting professors and Namine’s plans after school.

He probably would’ve been more amused than irritated if he wasn’t feeling so thrown off by Axel’s strange reaction to the woman’s presence. He was smiling, laughing and acting relaxed around her, but his arm hadn’t left Roxas’ shoulders, and Roxas could still feel some tension in his posture. He’d write that off as paranoia except that he _knew_ the tells of a body with muscles taut and ready to spring into action at the drop of a hat. He just didn’t understand _why_ Axel would have such a weird reaction to a woman who clearly liked him and thought they were on good terms.

“Auntie Flora told me that you’ve got a solo show coming up?” she asked, turning the conversation back so that all attention was on Axel.

“Yeah,” he said, digging in his pocket with his free hand to pull out a card and give it to her. “Relm’s giving me her gallery floor for December, then whatever doesn’t sell will probably go to Bradford’s offices on loan til they do. It’s not a huge space, and the canvases are all pretty large, but it’ll be good to get stuff up on the walls again.”

“But that’s so exciting, Axel!” Rose said, and Roxas could hear the sincerity in her voice. She clearly cared about Axel’s success, maybe even about Axel himself, so Roxas couldn’t be upset with her for that. Irritated that she was making Axel upset, yes, but not that she cared about the guy he liked. She tucked the card into her purse, giving his arm another squeeze. “I’m so happy to hear that you’re getting back into art, your talents have been wasted for far too long.”

“Celebrities are getting his tattoos, so that’s hardly ‘wasting his talents,’” Roxas snapped, unable to stay quiet at the snide slight when Axel only made a noncommittal noise. Who the hell did she think she was? And why was Axel just standing there, saying nothing? “Just because people are wearing his designs instead of hanging them on the wall doesn’t mean he isn’t doing good work.”

“Tattoos aren’t easily reproduced for mass production and profit, and someone as talented as Axel should be making six figures,” she said, unperturbed by Roxas’ outburst. She smiled at Axel, giving his arm another gentle squeeze. “I know you enjoy it, but I think you’ll find that your adoring fans will be glad to have you back. The Aunties and I are all very excited to see you back in the spotlight where you belong.”

She let go of Axel at last, and it was all Roxas could do to physically put himself between them. He opted for slipping an arm around Axel’s waist, which made Rose raise an eyebrow, then gave Axel a knowing look.

“I’m late for a meeting, but I’m so glad I met up with you again. Let’s do lunch and we can catch up!” She leaned in and gave him another peck and a hug, which forced Axel to release Roxas and return the hug.

“Yeah, we should,” he agreed without committing, and waved as she hurried off to whatever appointment she had. Axel watched her go, unmoving, thoughts clearly a million miles away from lunch at the new restaurant.

“She seemed… enthusiastic,” Namine offered when Axel didn’t offer up any explanation. He blinked, coming back to himself, but didn’t take his eyes off the retreating form of Rose.

“She means well, I’m sure,” is what he said at last, then forced a smile. “Shall we get that sushi?”

“Is she a friend?” Roxas asked. Clearly, Rose was under that impression, but Axel’s lackluster response hardly implied the feeling was mutual. Sure enough, Axel chewed on his lip, clearly thinking over the answer.

“I guess you could call her that,” he replied, then shook himself, as though trying to clear the memory of her from his mind. “Anyway, food. We should get some.”

“Axel?” Roxas asked, but Axel shook his head, starting to walk forward.

“Don’t really want to talk about it right now, sorry,” he said.

Roxas and Namine exchanged looks, but hurried after him, dying to know what that little scene had been about, but unwilling to pry. They could always ask Demyx, of course, but that seemed a bit underhanded, and Axel wouldn’t appreciate them digging into what was clearly a complicated --and possibly painful-- history.

Axel didn’t say much as they headed to lunch, still lost in his own thoughts. He didn’t say a thing as he made his way through his first plate of sushi, forcing Roxas and Namine to fall into awkward small talk as they both tried not to wonder about Axel’s mysterious friend.

He was halfway through his second plate of sushi before he brought his teacup down on the table with a sharp rap. For a minute, Roxas worried that he’d broken the thing, but Axel didn’t seem to notice, and there didn’t seem to be any leakage, so hopefully they wouldn’t get kicked out on their first visit for property damage.

“You know what? Fuck it. This is stupid. Go ahead, ask what you want,” Axel said, looking at the two of them at last, nostrils flaring. Roxas held up a hand, then shook his head.

“You’re clearly upset about it, so I’m not gonna pry about something you don’t wanna talk about,” he replied. “And I’m not gonna go behind your back and ask Demyx, either. You can tell me when you’re really ready. Or not. You don’t owe me an explanation, unless you think it’ll affect our relationship.”

Axel studied him for a moment-- really looked at him, searching his face, but Roxas meant what he said. He _wanted_ to know, of course he did, but Axel had stressed the importance of honesty, communication, and trust. Roxas couldn’t give him 100% on the first two, but he _could_ trust him. Axel released a breath, then turned back to the plate in front of him.

“You’re a good guy, Lux.” He took in a deep breath, held it, then released it, working up to whatever confession was haunting him. “I… proposed to Rose, once upon a time.”

Roxas blinked. He hadn’t been expecting that. Maybe an old friend he’d had a falling out with, or a rival artist who’d beaten him at some competition or something, but a girlfriend--no, fiancee? He wasn’t really sure how to process that bit of information.

“So…. you’re bi?” he asked, trying to get a grasp on the situation. Of course, that wasn’t the question he really wanted to ask, it didn’t even begin to touch the iceberg of questions that were freezing his thoughts as he tried to process that new tidbit of information, but he wasn’t really sure how to broach those questions, let along ask them out loud, and he also didn’t want to overstep and ask something too personal right off the bat. Axel just raised an eyebrow at him.

“Bi people do, in fact, exist,” replied Axel. “But at the time, I’d only had girlfriends before.”

“What happened?” Namine asked, who, at the moment, was better at formulating questions than Roxas.

“We’d been art buddies during school, working on community projects and stuff together. We were close, we had styles that really complimented each other’s work. We’d moved in together, she was going to college, I was doing night classes at community college while I did a crappy retail job during the day. It was all pretty domestic,” he frowned at his plate, not really seeing the half-eaten roll. “Things were good. We were celebrating an upcoming show and I figured it would be a good time to pop the question, make our cohabitation official. She just laughed.”

“Seriously?” Roxas asked, tightening his hold on his chopsticks.

“That’s awful,” agreed Namine, voice gentle and sympathetic. Axel shrugged, not tearing his gaze from the plate.

“I was young and stupid, and clearly didn’t have a good read on the situation,” he said, voice flat. “She told me that she’d agreed to move in with me because she thought it would be ‘safe’ to live with a gay guy. Then she admitted that she was already seeing someone. I thought she was seeing _me_ , but those signals got crossed somewhere along the lines.”

He laughed, though it sounded forced and brittle. “Well, not all of them. She was right about me liking guys, too.”

“So she kicked you out when she found out you were bi?” Roxas asked, wondering who the hell would treat someone like that-- a friend, no less-- and how communication between them had gotten so bad that they’d come up with completely different understandings of their situation.

Axel shrugged, leaning back in his chair. “I was...I think I was embarrassed more than anything,” he admitted. He crossed his arms over his chest. “I mean, we laughed about it, pretended to forget about it, but I think shit started going downhill from there. We hung out less, started drifting apart. Then we got into a fight about school and careers. She thought I could do better with my life than shitty retail jobs, and that I wasn’t committed enough to art. I ….said some petty shit in retaliation that was pretty cruel. I’m not proud of it.”

Roxas felt weird asking, but he _really_ wanted to know, and Axel had said to ask whatever he wanted, so….”So I guess you two were never, um…”

Axel quirked an eyebrow at him, smirk fixed on his face. “Intimate? No. She always said she wanted to wait til she was married. I didn’t press, cause it wasn’t that big a deal to me.” He shrugged and picked up the teacup again, swirling the contents without drinking it. “I think she did end up getting married to that guy and popping out a few brats. But the friendship was officially over when she told me to ‘ _go find my own guy and get fucked_.’”

Who the hell would say something like that? To a friend? Hell, to anyone? Roxas’ estimation of the woman sunk even lower, if that was possible. He scowled, upset for Axel’s sake, and asked, “So… what did you do?”

“I went out with the intention of getting super drunk, met Larxene and Marley at Luxord’s bar during the process, and we all got to talking. Marley offered me a job at his shop--art unseen, mind you-- and they told me they knew a guy who needed a roommate if I wanted to move outta the place I shared with Rose, so I met Demyx the next day. Things sorta fell into place after that, and I haven’t really spoken to her since then.” He picked up a roll and dropped it in a bath of soy sauce, poking it, but not bothering to take it out.

“I’ve mostly been able to avoid her because I don’t go to artsy-fartsy shows and gallery openings anymore. I stopped being angry with her a long time ago, but seeing her always throws me for a loop.” He scratched his chin, thinking back. “It’s been.. Man, seven years. Time flies.”

They sat in silence for a bit, Axel taking the opportunity to pop another piece of sushi into his mouth as the conversation lulled. Roxas… he wasn’t even sure what he was feeling. Mostly pissed at the stupid woman who’d done so much emotional damage to a guy who was just this amazing and thoughtful person, and _who the hell treats someone like that?_ Like their friendship was a convenience, or just a casual affair, or…. Or… His mind sputtered, unable to come up with suitable adjectives.

“Well… it sounds like she’s a bitch, and her loss is my gain,” he said at last. Axel gave him a small smile, but said nothing, mouth full of fish. Roxas tapped his chin with the back of his chopsticks, thinking aloud. “Does it bother you that we technically hadn’t been dating more than thirty minutes before I put out? I mean… I’ve been interested in you for a while, but I wouldn’t want you to think me loose.”

Axel chuckled. “You were definitely not loose in any sense of the word and I have no complaints.”

Namine gagged, face pink and darkening rapidly as she coughed and tried to catch her breath. She gestured to her plate, frowning at both of them. “Oh my god, really, you two? Right in front of my seaweed salad?”

Axel laughed, a genuine bark of delight, and then Roxas caught it, too, and Namine joined in, her carefully chosen words had successfully cleared the air. The tension was still there, but it eased off a bit, and the mood had definitely improved.

“I promise not to ravish him in front of you,” Axel promised, grabbing a tempura roll off the conveyor belt and popping off the lid. “I’ll drop you off at your place and wait til we’re a respectful distance away before I start getting handsy.”

Roxas smiled, “Are we going to your place, then?”

“I mean, you did say this morning that you wanted me to go home since I barely spent any time there this weekend,” replied Axel, dousing the roll in spicy mayo. “You didn’t say anything about you not coming along for the ride.”

“I do have homework and other obligations, you know,” laughed Roxas. He stole a roll from the plate, and popped it in his mouth. “If I fail this semester because my program isn’t done, Squall will sulk at me, Cloud will give me that ‘I’m disappointed in you’ pout he does so well, and Ven will jump out of bed, kill me, and find some way to go after you, too.”

“We can do actual productive stuff,” promised Axel. “You wanted more art for the game, right? So we’ll focus on assets, I’ll order takeout or something, and we can have a movie running while we work.”

“So long as I get _something_ done, that should be ok,” agreed Roxas.

He really couldn’t afford another day of slacking off, not with the stuff he needed to do for work-work on top of homework, and he hadn’t intended to spend every minute with Axel (he was _not_ going to be labeled as clingy or overbearing), and Axel was testing his physical endurance in new and exciting ways that were definitely fun but also tiring. But the meeting with Rose had clearly thrown Axel off his game, and if Demyx was out for the night, having someone else in the apartment would probably help.

They finished up lunch pretty quickly after that, and Namine actually ended up joining them for part of the afternoon; patient willing or not, she still had to write up summary reports on his progress and performance during the shortened session.

“I’m giving him a ‘Needs improvement’ in the ‘Attitude’ column,” she admitted, and Roxas promised to tell Ven that the next morning, or whenever he would be up to appreciating what an asshole he’d been. An apology might not be forthcoming, but the rest of them could laugh about it all the same.

She left with Demyx a few hours later, leaving Axel and Roxas to crash on the couch in front of the tv. They really were working (sort of), but they also had a show running on Axel’s ridiculously huge screen, and towards the end of the third episode, they’d more or less given up on their projects and simply sat together on the couch, Roxas’ head leaning against Axel’s shoulder. Binging on a tv series was ok as long as you’d gotten _some_ work done, right?

Axel shifted to drape his arm around Roxas’ shoulder, pulling him closer to nuzzle his hair.

“You know, I meant what I said earlier today,” he murmured, long fingers running along Roxas’ scalp in a soothing, gentle caress. “You really are a good guy.”

“I meant what I said, too,” Roxas replied, leaning into the touch and suppressing a groan. Axel had the _best_ fingers. He sighed and melted into Axel’s side, feeling the tension drain from him. “She was a bitch and you deserved better.”

Axel gave a short snort of laughter. “It was a long time ago, and I’m willing to let bygones be bygones. First couple of years sucked, but I’m pretty content with where I am now.”

“Me too,” said Roxas, and it struck him that he _was_ pretty content with how things were going.

Life wasn’t perfect-- Ven was still recovering, and he still had to deal with all the school related stuff, plus his other projects on top of that, but… life was pretty good right now. He was pretty sure he had a job lined up after school, he had time to hang out with his friends, he had an awesome boyfriend who had a good heart-- maybe not common sense, but that tenacity had reintroduced them to each other, and for the first time in ages, things seemed to be getting better, slowly but surely. Maybe things would’ve still gone the same way even if they hadn’t met, but he knew that Axel had been one of the best things to happen to him in a long time.

He reached over and slung an arm around Axel’s middle, returning the embrace. “Me too,” he said again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Title is the opening theme from FFVII: Crisis Core.


	13. Crystalline Chill

There was always something immensely satisfying in discovering a new hobby. When Axel realized how easy it was to fluster Roxas, it was hard to resist taking any and every opportunity presented to him-- and making one whenever possible. It could anything from a casual arm around the shoulders as they walked down the street to an unexpected caress as they settled in for the night. He paid attention, tried new things, and memorized each and every flush, and loved every minute of it. Results varied from a faint dusting of pink to a cherry red that left Roxas hiding his face and spluttering. It’d become a bit of a game, trying to see how far he could go, what kind of reaction he could get. It was an easy one, though, because Axel considered every round a win.

As he leaned over, chest pressed to Roxas’ back, lips brushing against a slightly stubbled cheek, Axel could practically feel the burn of the blush that blossomed across Roxas’ face. He chuckled, drawing back his face just enough to murmur into Roxas’ ear, “You ready for this?”

Roxas stiffened beneath him, squirming a bit under Axel’s touch, but he didn’t pull away. “Yeah! ...Maybe? I think so. Shit, I don’t know. Shit. No. I don’t know if this is such a good idea, I think I’m gonna barf,” Roxas admitted. He tried to wriggle out, but Axel laughed, grabbing his hand and guiding it forward.

“Relax,” he said, coaxing Roxas back into his previous position. He spread his hand over Roxas’, fingers guiding where the blond faltered. “Breathe in, let it out, and….. There we go! Easy, right?”

Roxas gave a breathy laugh, a tight, high pitched, and nervous sounding thing, but eased back into the chair as a “message sent” pop-up filled the screen. Roxas closed out of it, lifting his hands to scrub away the last of the tension from his face, and Axel caught them between his own hands, angling Roxas’ head up for a brief peck. Roxas pulled back just enough to spin the chair around, then tried to pull Axel into the chair on top of him to deepen the kiss.

“You need to lighten up,” Axel said as when he finally drew back. He ruffled Roxas’ hair, then pulled him out of the chair and guided him towards the table. “It’s only a job application-- a job you’ve been working towards for _months_ , I might add. You’d think that I was trying to coerce you into some sort of illegal kinky sex thing the way you’re freaking out over this. C’mon, food’s on the table.”

“I’m _nervous,_ ” Roxas complained, looking back at the PC even as Axel guided him towards the table and waiting meal. “Ven’s gonna kill me.”

“He doesn’t have to know until you accept the position,” Axel promised, uncovering the bowl and pushing it towards Roxas. “Dig in while it’s hot. I got you extra guac, figured you could use the fortification.”

“I don’t even know if I’m gonna get an interview,” Roxas said, although he dug into the food happily enough. Axel bit back another laugh, pleased to see that they were past the whole _‘I’m gonna barf’_  thing. Instead, he concentrated on filling his own plate before sitting down across from Roxas, effectively blocking the view of the computer.

“You’ve got this in the bag,” he assured him, then waved a fork as he continued, “and if you’re really that concerned, send out a bunch of other applications, too, so you can CYA and honestly tell Ven that you sent out your info to lots of different places, not just the Academy forces. But it’s not like he can stop you-- I mean, pot and kettle and all that.”

“I know,” Roxas said, chasing a kernel of corn around his bowl with a fork. “I think he's just worried that I’m gonna get hurt. I mean, this whole year has been pretty traumatizing, so he sorta has a point.”

Axel shrugged, agreeing with the sentiment-- to a certain extent. If _he_ was Ven he wouldn’t want his little brother going out into danger. Hell, he didn’t like the fact that Reno had left a cushy job to join the forces around the time that all that shit went down, and Reno was nearly ten years older than him. And it wasn’t like he wanted his boyfriend to jump into the line of danger, either, but Roxas was old enough to figure things out for himself, and if this was what he wanted to do, well, all _he_ could do would be to make sure he had his back and support him however he could.

“Well, your position doesn’t normally see a lot of action, right? I mean, yeah, you’re an agent and stuff, but most of the time you’ll be safe at the office, fighting the crooks from behind your computer screen.” Axel grinned, “ _I’m_ not complaining. I’m glad to know you’ll be safe and sound while you bring down the hammer of justice on the bad guys.”

“That’s not _quite_ how it works,” said Roxas, but he was fighting a smile, chewing a bit before continuing. “But yeah, it should be pretty uneventful, I think. Unless Xemnas decides that he wants me to join like a tactical team or something, but that’s usually for people on track for Keyblade mastery, and I honestly don’t care about that.”

“You could always run tech for _Heartless_ if the whole ‘smiting bad guys’ thing gets old,” laughed Axel. He snagged another few chips out of the bag, then crumbled them into his bowl. “Right now they’re sort of shuffling last-minute stuff around but I think they’ve finally got their shit together. Albums almost ready, art’s done, publicist is making calls, tour booked…. You don’t wanna hit the road, see more of the world?”

“I’d miss your show,” Roxas replied. He tapped his chin with the handle of his fork, as though mulling over the possibility of seeing the world from the back of a tech van. “And even if there are flaws in the system, I still think I can do the most good by sticking around here. Seeing the world is more Xion’s thing.”

“Ha, I bet Demyx would lose his shit if she toured around with them,” laughed Axel. “Larxene might kill them both, though, if they got into another deep discussion about mollusks. Is it normal for people to talk about snail penises for over an hour?”

“It is if you’re Xion,” Roxas replied. He paused, forkful of rice halfway up to his mouth. “Why would she go on tour with them?”

Axel just grinned and shook his head, ignoring Roxas’ questioning look by taking a large bite of his burrito bowl and just smiling as Roxas asked him again. And although Roxas continued to ask what he was talking about, each and every question was deflected until Axel gave up, pushed back from the table, and set about distracting Roxas in _other_ ways.

\- - - -

“Just because I’m too tired to move doesn’t mean I’m going to let this rest,” warned Roxas as he lay panting on the bed. Axel just laughed and rolled onto his back, draping an arm across his face. He reached over with his other hand to give Roxas’ stomach a sympathetic pat, feeling pleasantly exhausted himself.

“That is not my pearl of knowledge to give away,” he said, laughing as Roxas groaned at yet another aquatic reference. Really, when he made it this easy, how was Axel supposed to resist? “If you want to know more, you have to talk to one of them. Or both. Just let me be in the room when it happens.”

“I will have answers,” replied Roxas, which probably would’ve been more threatening if he wasn’t stark naked and flushed, looking for all the world like some wanton model in an underwear ad. Just, _y’know_ , without the underwear. Axel just laughed, sliding his hand up to find Roxas’ fingers, intertwining them. Roxas rolled to his side, cupping his hands around Axel’s, body curling in an almost protective gesture. He didn’t say anything, just let his fingers run along their joined hands, and tucked them against his chest.

Axel shifted to peek at Roxas from under his arm, and was surprised to see a frown back on the blond’s face. He didn’t think it was anything to do with Xion though-- it was that same weird tension from earlier, when he’d been fidgeting with the mouse all morning, refusing to finish the submission package and trying to psyche himself up enough to actually get around to sending it. Axel shifted so he was on his side facing Roxas, and reached out to him.

“Hey, I can tell you're still freaking out about the application,” Axel said, brushing hair away from Roxas’ eyes. He grinned as Roxas blinked back into focus at the touch, hand falling to rest against Roxas’ cheek. “Are you really that worried? Is your coding bad?”

“No…” Roxas said, sounding less than convinced. But Axel knew Roxas’ tendency towards perfectionism, so he already knew that the program itself would be solid. It had to be, Roxas had angsted over it enough the past week so much that even Axel was starting to see lines of coding functions in his sleep.

“Did you forget to upload and parts of it, like… I dunno, did you leave out your patch notes or something?”

Roxas actually snorted, clearly offended that Axel would think him capable of such a rookie mistake. “No, I zipped everything and attached it with my resume and curriculum,” he replied.

Axel grinned at him, giving him a sly sideways glance. “So, what, did you plant a nefarious bit of software in your coding so you could take down the system from the inside?”

He laughed at the indignant squawk Roxas made, then pulled him over until they were intertwined, Roxas’ head on his shoulder, chest to chest. He could feel Roxas’ pulse beating fast beneath his hand, and shifted his hand to rub soothing circles along the ridge of Roxas’ spine. “Relax. You're going to be fine and nothing bad is gonna happen.”

Roxas was still tense under his hands, although he brought his arm up to hug around Axel’s middle. “I just… worry about the reception and if it does everything I need it to. A lot is depending on it.”

Axel moved his hand up to Roxas’ head, running his fingers through the messy blond hair. He bit back a laugh as Roxas leaned into the touch and relaxed a bit-- a handy calming trick he’d learned that had made the past few weeks more bearable for both of them.

“If they don’t like it, or it randomly stops working and any and every worst scenario you can possibly think of comes to pass, what's the worst that could happen?” he asked, playing with the curls that swept up and away from Roxas’ face. “No job right? So you keep sending out applications to other places, and you work with your new employer to figure out how to pay back the loans.”

Roxas stayed silent, chewing on his lower lip as his eyes took on a distant stare again.

“I’m just worried that... I just don’t…” he faltered, glanced up at Axel, then looked away. “I don’t want you to be disappointed in me,” he admitted at last.

Axel just blinked, trying to process that. “Why…. would I be disappointed in you?” he asked, genuinely confused. Roxas’ brain worked in some of the weirdest ways, going off in tangents that were almost impossible to follow sometimes. He didn’t think it was because Roxas was insecure, per se-- more that his brain came to rapid fire conclusions that came out a few too many steps ahead of the rest of the thoughts in the conversation, even if he didn’t have all of the information at hand. He shook his head, then tugged Roxas closer until they were chest to chest, eye to eye. Roxas still wouldn’t meet his gaze.

“I have absolutely no idea how you do what you do,” he admitted, managing to shrug despite being on his side. “Just the thought of coding makes my brain glaze over, and sitting hunched in front of a computer for that long makes me twitchy. I’m not wired that way, so I don’t get the appeal.”

He tilted Roxas’ head up to meet his gaze, and grinned when he finally got his attention. “I dropped out of a four year college since the degree thing didn’t really jive for me, and I make a living by doodling hearts with a needle into people four days a week. The other days I shut myself into my room to paint weird shit that I am hoping are niche enough that the pretentious dicks who go to art shows will notice and want to buy them. One of the first jobs I ever had was nude modeling for drawing classes, but I got fired for flirting with the TA too much.”

Roxas let out a chuckle at that, and Axel grinned at the small success. “Point is, I’ve had some high points and low points in my life, done shit I’m not proud of, wonder if I could’ve done better in other places, but you know what? I am where I am because of everything I’ve done,” he said, and saw with some satisfaction that he’d caught Roxas’ attention, even if the blond didn’t quite believe it yet.

“Am I where I thought I’d be? No,” he admitted, then gave Roxas a hug. “But am I disappointed? _Hell no_. It’s not a disappointment, because we’re here, together, and that’s all that matters. You don’t get the job? Fuck ‘em. They don’t know what they’re missing out on, so they don’t deserve you. I’m not gonna be disappointed in you for them being too stupid to appreciate you for all that you do.”

He kissed the tip of Roxas’ nose, then leaned over until their foreheads pressed together. “But they’re _not_ gonna miss out on you because they know you’re amazing and they’d be stupid to let you slip through their fingers. Didn’t Zexion tell you as much from the get-go?”

“I just... have a lot riding on this,” Roxas said. “I know it seems stupid, but I’ve been working on it for so long, put so much time and careful coding into it that it feels like everything hinges on whether or not I dotted all my ‘i’s and crossed all my ‘t’s.”

“I can help distract you again,” Axel offered, and grinned. “I just…. need a little time to catch my breath.”

Roxas chuckled, then scooted closer to cuddle while they both cooled off. Axel could still feel the tension, but it had eased somewhat, Roxas’ breaths going in and out a little more evenly. He felt Roxas trace the whorls of his tattoos, following the flames up his arms and to his chest. Roxas’ hand cupped the skin above his heart, and Axel could feel Roxas come to some sort of resolve, drawing in a deep breath and shifting his head to look up at him, opening his mouth to speak---

The front door to the apartment slammed closed, and they heard the unceremonious ‘whump’ of luggage hitting the ground a second later. Roxas froze, mouth open, eyes wide-- apparently they’d been longer than they’d thought.

“YOU GUYS BETTER HAVE PANTS ON, ‘CAUSE I’M COMING IN!”

Roxas leapt off the bed, panic in his eyes and adrenaline flooding through his veins as Xion stomped around the apartment, making a noisy show of heading into the kitchen to make coffee and opening and shutting cabinets. Axel let out a sigh of disappointment, not quite ready to brace himself for the force that was Xion. He didn’t get up right away, but he did sit up so he could watch Roxas scramble around the floor, grabbing the first clothes he could find and shimmying into them as quickly as possible.

Axel didn’t see the need to rush-- they were all adults, and Xion had given them warning without coming in to tease them, so she clearly wasn’t scandalized by the thought that they’d been in the bedroom. He looked around the room, then laughed. Of course, she probably was making more noise than usual because he was pretty sure they’d left bits of clothing out in the dining room, trailing towards the bedroom. He _knew_ there was a reason he liked her.

Roxas darted out of the room, yanking on a shirt as he greeted her with a “Hey! Hey Xi, you’re, ah, early aren’t you?”

Axel rolled out of bed and slipped on his pants, rooting through the sheets until he found his shirt. Then, he ambled out to join them just in time to see Xion use the toe of her boot to kick something off the floor at her brother. It landed on Roxas’ shoulder, which turned his face an interesting shade of red.

“No, you’re just distracted and lost track of time, you dork. Did you forget to take something into the room with you?” she asked, then gave Axel a wink. “Hey Axel.” Axel waved at Xion, then peeled off the fabric she’d kicked at her brother, shaking them out to identify what bit of clothing they’d left on the floor.

“Heya Xi. Oh, hey, that’s where they got to, thanks.” He tucked the boxers into his back pocket and headed back into the bedroom to put them on. As he shucked off his pants, he could hear Roxas and Xion chatting in the living room, Roxas asking about her flight and how the gang was doing back at the islands. Axel finished redressing and came back into the room to find them sitting on the couch, Xion looking slightly upset.

“...and they just took the laptop, and dug through my stuff til they found the USB. I didn’t even find out about it until we landed, and I only found out because my stupid bag never showed up, and the USB was gone from my cosmetics bag, and I had to go to baggage claim to find out what happened,” she said as Axel slid into the chair across from her. She bit her lip and refused to meet Roxas’ gaze. “I’m sorry, Roxas. I know you really wanted to see the program.”

“That’s…” Roxas trailed off, clearly not really sure what to say. Axel noticed that he’d gone several shades whiter than normal, fingers gripping the arm of the couch. When he noticed Axel looking, however, he folded his hands in his lap, and gave a weary sigh. “It’s not your fault,” he managed at last. “I mean, it’s weird that they took your stuff and didn’t stop to question you or anything, and I definitely think you should see if Zee or one of the others can investigate. He likes you, he’d probably be able to track it down and see what’s going on. I’m just glad you’re here and that they didn’t hold you longer on any BS charges or something.”

“The worst part was, I didn’t even get to tell TRON goodbye, you know?” she asked, then shrugged as Roxas gave her a skeptical expression. “I know it’s just a program, but he was fun to talk to. I told him about my work with the fisheries and reef rebuilding, and he actually sketched up some really insightful new forms that we were going to replicate as beds for Thalassa clams and sea anemones.”

She sighed, leaning back on the couch to stare up at the ceiling. “I was kinda hoping that once you were done giving him the all-clear, you’d let me put him online,” she admitted. “If Ven really _did_ send me that USB, it means he wrote me a personal assistant program, and I would hate to think that the stupid airline safety regulations destroyed a perfectly good program, sentimental aspects notwithstanding.”

“We’ll figure it out,” Roxas promised, although he frowned as he spoke. “Did they give you a receipt or anything for the stuff they confiscated?”

“It’s practically illegible,” she said, then hesitated.

“I feel like there’s a ‘but’ in there somewhere,” said Axel, kicking his own feet up on the table and crossing his ankles. She gave a nervous laugh, a guilty smile on her face.

“They didn’t get _everything,”_ she admitted. “I backed up all of the schematics he created and saved them on an external drive, so it’s possible part of the program got installed onto the backup, too. I figured once you saw that he was harmless I could plug it into my machine and upload them to our servers for production.”

“That…. I guess it might be something to work with,” Roxas said after giving a few minutes to mull over. He shrugged. “I can give it a look, anyway.”

Axel didn’t say anything, watching Xion as she smiled at her brother. When she noticed Axel’s attention, though, she flushed and tucked her hands into her lap. Apparently the coffee table and her mug became _extremely_ interesting, so she focused on that instead of trying to stare down Axel. When Axel _still_ didn’t say anything, and Roxas finally noticed the sudden silence in the room, she sighed and held her arms up in defeat.

“FINE,” she said, answering Axel’s unasked question. “I also asked TRON to copy himself onto an offline backup drive and hid it somewhere safe so I could put him on a proper computer when I got home, because I figured Roxas wouldn’t give back the original program until he’d fully vetted it, which would take _forever_ because he’s anal about checking everything. Happy?”

“Y’know, before I started hanging out with your brother, I’d never met anyone who had backups of backups,” Axel replied. “I’m starting to wonder if paranoia is a hereditary thing.”

“It’s not paranoia if you turn out to be right,” Roxas argued, but he frowned at his sister. “On the one hand, I’m kinda pissed off that you copied an unknown program that could be doing god knows what to your PC, because Ven and I have _both_ told you about being smart and safe when it comes to tech. But….” he smiled, “I am even more intrigued about this thing now. If Customs flagged it as a security risk, it’s gotta be interesting.”

“I don’t know how to get it to you, though, since… you know. I don’t think a drive would have any better chance of getting to you if they thought a computer itself would be a risk.” She slouched back on the couch, toeing the unopened mail out of the way so she could put up her feet on the coffee table. “I guess that just means you have to get off _your_ ass and come visit us at the Island. Sooner than later, ‘cause I know Sora misses you. Axel, you’re always welcome, too, if you wanna skip the winter grossness and come hang in the sun with us.”

“Appreciate the invite,” he replied, leaning forward to pick up the magazines that had spilled over onto the floor.

As he chucked them back onto the table, a postcard fluttered out of the stack. Angry marker lines scrawled across one side caught his eye, and he caught most of the message without meaning to-- kinda tough to keep stuff private when ‘GET YOUR ASS DOWN HERE’ was there for everyone to see. “This is an interesting marketing trick. Not sure how effective it is to curse at people until they come to your…. Warehouse?”

Roxas plucked the card from Axel’s hand and threw it back onto the table. “It’s some supply facility, said they have a package for me to come pick up at my earliest convenience,” he replied. “I already called and told them I didn’t order anything, and they said it was an order from Ven, and I _told_ them that’s impossible since he’s been offline for months and they’re insisting that he did. And when I asked them for more details they just said I had to come in person to sign for it, which, as you can see, is some shady warehouse. I’m _not_ going down there by myself just so I can get snatched by body harvesters or something. I _like_ my kidneys.”

Axel snorted, pulling out his phone to check the address. “Well…. It’s not the _worst_ part of town, all things considered,” he said, tapping on the location. “There’s an industrial supply warehouse down there that I go to for drop cloths and paintbrushes. We could swing by if you want, I need to stretch more canvases anyway. If there are three of us, it’ll be harder for body-snatchers.”

“Two of you, I already have plans, sorry,” Xion said. Roxas turned to look at her, confused frown on his face.

“You only just got here and you already have plans?”

“It’s called scheduling in advance and making plans, brother dear,” she laughed, pulling out her own phone to answer a buzzed text. “The wonders of technology. Truly amazing.”

“I thought the point of you coming over here with your new job and everything was to hang out with family,” Roxas said, his voice not quite a whine. Axel chuckled under his breath and held his tongue, but Xion just shrugged, clearly not going to be guilted out of her plans.

“I’m spending the day with Ven, then I’m having a girls’ night in with Namine and Olette. I figured you two would like the privacy,” she said. “We’ve still got all day tomorrow, Sunday, and part of Monday. Besides, did you really have anything planned?”

“Well… no,” admitted Roxas. “I mean, I was gonna make one of the things Namine and I learned how to cook at class, but if you have other plans…”

“Make it for an early lunch tomorrow, or dinner on Sunday!” she suggested, and got to her feet, tucking her phone back in her purse. “That way we can all go to the party together.”

“Shit, I completely forgot about that,” Axel said, pinching the bridge of his nose. “So I’m _definitely_ gonna pick up supplies today, since I forgot tomorrow afternoon’s pretty much shot. You’re welcome to come with.”

“What party?” Roxas asked, and Axel cursed again. He’d been so busy distracting Roxas from his job application ordeal that _he’d_ been too distracted to mention the invite.

“I keep forgetting you haven’t talked to Dem, I think they’re calling it a pre-promotional launch party or something, but basically it’s an excuse to go to Luxord’s and drink,” he said. “Honestly, I don’t think everything is even done, they’re just washing their hands of it and letting their manager deal with the rest of it. It’s also the last night Demyx has free for a while, he has to go back to work soon to catch up on everything.”

“It should be fun,” chimed in Xion. “Demyx said they might do some karaoke, and if we get them drunk enough we might get to hear one of their new songs.”

“That sounds like some sort of ploy to get you to buy all the drinks,” Roxas quipped, but he was smiling again, and when they headed towards the car to complete their warehouse district adventures, he seemed to have forgotten the morning’s worries. Apparently he was more excited about hearing the new music than he was disappointed that Xion had ditched him for the day. Even the loss of the sentient program thing didn't seem to phase him all that much. Axel didn’t blame him-- the band’s new stuff was pretty good.

Roxas jumped into the passenger seat, and cast a quick look at Axel before pulling out his crappy phone, fingers flying over the keys.

“I really don’t think it’ll take so long to get there that it warrants playing a round of your _Heartless_ game,” he said, turning over the engine. “You submitted the code like… four hours ago! Give yourself a day off!”

“I’m not playing the game,” said Roxas, fingers flying over the keys. He dropped the phone in his lap, then leaned forward to mess with the radio. “Did you get the sneak peek CD yet?”

Axel laughed, batting Roxas’ hands away from the cd player. “If I did I wouldn’t play it for you anyway. That’s Dem’s baby and he’d kill me if you heard it without him there.”

“But they’re cut, right? Like, there are promo copies floating around somewhere? I mean, this is Demyx’s car, he should have one hidden in here somewhere...”

“Maaaaaybe….” he drawled, and he risked a quick glance over at Roxas again as Roxas trailed off. But Roxas was back on his crappy phone, texting away. Axel frowned. “Dude, who are you talking to so much? Setting up a hot date? Do I need to be worried or something?”

Roxas dropped the phone, cursed, then finished typing out whatever he’d been typing before making a deliberate show of putting the thing away. “It's no one!,” he promised. “I mean, it's my beta tester but she really doesn't mean anything to me. I’m not planning some illicit rendezvous.”

“I dunno, man,” Axel pressed, slowing the car to take their exit. “You talk to her a lot, a guy could get jealous.”

Roxas laughed and put a hand on Axel’s shoulder, giving it a light squeeze. “I'm just using her for her code, relax. I don't think she even lives in Radiant Garden. I'm not sexting her dirty programming lingo, I wanted to let her know we're officially done phase 1 testing and to thank her again for her help.”

“Wham, LAN, thank you m’am?” Axel asked, which earned him a dirty look and a long-suffering groan. He sighed. Roxas had yet to learn to appreciate the fine art of puns, of which Axel was a master. He could forgive him, though-- everyone had to have _some_ character flaws, right?

Not long after taking their exit, they pulled into a spot in front of what was probably one of the sketchiest places he’d ever seen, with bare cinder block walls and exposed steel beams bleeding rust stains from the top to the bottom of the building. Granted, all of the businesses in the wharf district were a little rough around the edges, but Axel felt that this place took it to the extreme.

Roxas frowned at the address as they got out of the car, but he’d put the location into his phone, so they were at the right place. Whether that was the right place to pick up a mysterious package, the right place to wander into some weird unlisted hipster dance scene, or the right place to get mugged and wake up with no kidneys, he wasn’t sure.

Roxas approached the door with no little trepidation, giving Axel a _‘what should I do?’_ look, but _he_ didn’t know, so he just shrugged and leaned against the car, keys in hand in case they needed to book it. Roxas rolled his eyes, then went up to the plain metal door and knocked twice. There was a metallic whumping noise, like the sound of an engine powering down, lots of cursing, and the door flew open, revealing a cranky old man in a grease-stained suit.

Roxas took a step back when the door opened, but quickly fell out of his defensive stance as he stared at the greaser. “It’s you! You’re that Cid guy who sold me that camera!”

Axel raised an eyebrow. So apparently the guy _did_ know the Luxes after all, although that really didn’t solve any mysteries in the grand scheme of things. The question ‘what the hell are we doing here?’ still sat heavy on his tongue. The geezer seemed just as unhappy to see them as they were to be there.

“Fuckin’ finally, Lux. You forget how to fuckin’ read or somethin?” asked Cid. He spat out the butt of his cigar, reached into his shirt pocket, and pulled out another. He lit it, took a deep drag, then blew it out-- not quite directly into Roxas’ face, but in his general direction. Roxas took another step back, waving the ash and smoke from his eyes as Cid headed back into the gloom of the warehouse, yelling at them over his shoulder. “Shit. Don't answer that, I don't fuckin’ care, just get your shit outta my warehouse, I got shipments comin’ in and your fuckin’ box is takin’ up space.”

Roxas put on a brave front and waded into the gloomy mess, carefully stepping around boxes and odd parts that lay to the left and right of what could be called a path. Axel held back, opting to stay by the exit and possible escape path if the visit went south. Roxas was on his own.

His eyes adjusted to the gloom relatively quickly, although there wasn’t much to look at. For all its size, most of the warehouse space seemed to be taken up by some huge rocket-looking contraption, and stacks of machinery that seemed to be in varying stages of assembly. There was a wall of boxes, however, and as Roxas made his way farther into the room, the man gestured in that general direction.

“Over on the wall,” he said, heading towards a truck that he’d somehow managed to park amid the massive blocks of steel and gears. “Should have a name on it.”

“My brother didn't order--”

“Do I look like I fuckin’ care?” Cid interrupted, hauling a box of miscellaneous parts out of the pickup truck, then slamming the door closed again. “It's got your name on it, it's your shit now. Happy fuckin’ birthday.”

He rolled his cigar to the other side of his mouth, then began extracting assorted metal bits from the collection, dropping the discarded pieces on the floor as he searched for some part or another. Roxas jumped with each loud clang, sending a panicked look over to Axel, who, for his part, could only offer a shrug. Roxas turned back to the angry mechanic, raising his voice to be heard over the noise.

“I didn't bring any money,” he said over the clangs, but Cid continued in his pursuit of parts, not looking up.

“All paid for, just get it outta here,” he said, then gave a victory grunt, pulling out some sort of pipe thing and heading over to what looked like the carcass of a massive engine. Axel squinted into the darkness, trying to get a better view of things. Was the man building airplanes or something in here?

Roxas, in the meantime, had finally made his way over to the wall, and ran his fingers over the packing labels, reading the names. Then his hand stopped on a microwave-sized box, and he turned to look at the mechanic guy again.

“The label says this was delivered in July, which means you had it when I bought my sister's camera. Why didn't you tell me about it then?”

Cid grunted and extracted himself from the engine’s maw, walking over to wall to stand beside Roxas.

“Didn't have authorization before. Now you do. Congrats.” He pulled out a clipboard and shoved it at Roxas, who signed for the package, then handed it back. Cid slid the box off the shelf and ints Roxas’ arms, and he staggered under the unexpected weight. Cid snorted, then turned away. “Exit is the same door you came through on the way in. If it’s too heavy, get the scarecrow to help.”

“Hey!” grumbled Axel, although he did hurry over to help Roxas with the box. It wasn’t heavy, per se-- Roxas could definitely have handled it himself-- but it was kinda cumbersome, especially in the cramped quarters. Still, Cid seemed satisfied. He turned his back on them and headed over to the parts box again.

“You really don’t have any more information about this?” asked Roxas, grunting as he shifted his hold on the box.

Cid didn’t even bother replying, already in the bowels of his project again, so Axel and Roxas hauled the box out of the warehouse and over to the car, sliding it into the trunk. Axel didn’t start the car immediately, though. He shifted the rear view mirror to check on their cargo, then turned to Roxas.

“Soooo that wasn't super shady or weird or anything….” he said. Roxas shrugged, looking back at the box with some confusion.

“I knew Ven bought computer parts from a guy down here, I didn't realize he had a custom order though. He must've placed the order months ago before everything happened.” He frowned and chewed his lip, no doubt wondering what his brother had been up to. “He hasn’t said anything to me about it when I visited him…”

“You want to wait to open it til we get back to your place?” Axel asked, sticking the keys into the ignition and turning on the car at last. Roxas shook his head.

“I’ll just take a quick look, but the weight suggests computer parts. I just don’t know why he’d order them so far in advance and not bother having info about it… like, _anywhere_. I would’ve come across purchase orders if he’d kept them.”

Axel made a noncommittal noise as he turned the car out of the lot and towards the art supply warehouse. As he drove, he watched out of the corner of his eye as Roxas carefully cut away the tape, then peeled back the cardboard flaps to reveal a collection of packing peanuts and a small envelope sitting on top. He picked this up first, turning it over to find his name scrawled across the paper in Ven’s familiar, thick lettering.

He frowned at it, opened the envelope, and quickly read the letter inside. Axel risked taking his eyes off the road for a moment when he heard Roxas’ sharp intake of breath.

“Everything ok?” he asked. Roxas simply stared at the paper in his hands, unresponsive, and when Axel parked in front of the supply store, he still hadn’t moved. Still, when Axel held out his hand, he gave over the letter readily enough, and Axel scanned the letter, frowning in confusion as he read further.

> _Rox,_
> 
> _If you’ve gotten this, it means that in one way or another I’m gone. I’m sorry. I wanted to be there for both of you. By now you’ve probably heard some sort of explanation about what happened to me, but I don’t know how much of it is true, and you may not know whether anything is real or not. For all I know, you’re angry with me-- I wish I could say I’ll explain everything, but if you’re reading this, it’s too late._
> 
> _I’m sorry I wasn’t able to get you a real present-- I know we talked about going on a family trip out to Walt World to celebrate the big two-one. Since I’m not there to do it, I’m leaving you cash to buy two tickets-- you and Xi go have fun, and know that I’m with you, no matter what._
> 
> _That’s key-- I don’t want you to feel what I felt all those years ago when Mom and Dad died, ok? Even if all we have are scattered memories-- pick them up, yours-- and mine. If Aqua or Terra are still there, give them what you find. They’ll understand what to do._
> 
> _I’m so proud of the person you’ve become. I know I’ve been distant because of work stuff, but I wanted you to know that I consider myself one of the luckiest guys in the world to call you my brother. Mom and Dad would’ve been so happy with how far you’ve come, and I know they’re looking down on you, too. Keep out of trouble, and know that I love you with all my heart._
> 
> _~V_

“Well… Shit. Are you ok?” he asked, not really sure what else to say. Roxas nodded, expression unreadable as he started into the box. “This seems kinda… I dunno, he doesn’t say anything about doing something _illegal_ but if he was working on something with Aqua and Terra, shouldn’t this go to the police? What’s in the box?”

Roxas pulled out a long green stick with soldered parts and black plastic rectangles, followed by some sort of motherboard. “Computer parts,” came the reply, followed by a long sigh. “I guess he got the pieces we’d been looking at to build a custom unit. We’d talked about it for a long time but never got around to working on it together. I don’t think this is anything from one of his cases, so there’s no need to get the cops involved.”

“Are you sure? I mean, wouldn’t it be safer to just--”

“I’ll have Zexion come over and take a look once I have everything assembled,” Roxas interrupted, dropping the pieces back into the packing peanuts. “But it seems stupid to have them confiscate factory settings parts and let them sit on another shelf for ages when I could just as easily put it together and prove that it’s got nothing on it.”

“If you say so,” Axel said, voice light. He could hear the tension in Roxas’ voice, and while he didn’t agree with Roxas’ conclusion, there was no point in arguing. Zee would know what to do, and he knew Roxas would call him, true to his word. And he was probably right-- they probably were just computer parts, nothing nefarious, but the message was weird, the timing was odd, and something just felt… off. He couldn’t put his finger on _what_ , though. He decided to change tactics, something to distract Roxas from impending gloom. “Maybe you can take it to him at the hospital? Work on it together there?”

“Maybe.” Roxas didn’t seem all that excited about that idea, but Axel couldn’t really blame him. Ven was making leaps and bounds in his recovery-- Aerith had him walking short distances again, he was having fewer days where he spaced out, and his painting was getting better-- but it still was nowhere near the level of stability he’d need to work on delicate computer assembly.

“Maybe you can put it together and surprise him then,” he suggested instead, then paused, looking from the door of the building back to Roxas. “I’ll probably only be inside ten minutes tops. You want me to leave the keys?”

“What? Um, no, you go ahead, I just, um… yeah,” Roxas replied, already distracted and staring back at the letter and box. Axel watched him for a moment more, then closed the door with a quiet click, turning to head into the shop. He got it, really. If Reno had left him a message like that, he’d want some time to process it on his own, too.

That said, he could only dawdle in the shop for so long. He knew where everything he needed was, could’ve been in and out in five minutes, but he took his time for Roxas’ sake, taking the ten minutes he’d promised before heading back to the car. Roxas was on his crappy phone again, but from what he could tell it really was the game this time, and not illicit texts with coding buddies.

“Did you get all the gunblades yet?” he asked, turning over the engine. Roxas laughed, shutting down the game and tucking the phone away.

“I suck at these kinds of games,” he admitted. “I might know a cheat or two to work the system though.”

“Cheaters never win,” laughed Axel. Roxas seemed in less of a funk, or at least he was pretending to be, so Axel could pretend, too, for Roxas’ sake. He got back onto the expressway, then suggested, “So…. you wanna do a guy’s night in, since Xion’s off with the girls?”

“Mm, that could be fun,” agreed Roxas, although he sounded less than enthusiastic. He gave Axel an apologetic smile, nodding his head towards the box. “But maybe later tonight? I wanna go through the box, maybe figure out how it all goes together. But if you wanna come around dinner time, we could figure something out.”

“I’ll bring Dem so I don’t distract you from your new toys, and you could see if Hayner and Pence wanted to swing by, too, it’s been a while since they hung out,” said Axel, heading back towards Roxas’ apartment. “And I know it’s Friday and everything, but before people come over you should probably at least _start_ looking into other places to apply for a job.”

“I’ve already texted Leonhart to see if he has suggestions for other places that might work,” Roxas replied. “I figured I can let him deal with it for now, take a weekend off. This morning was… traumatic.”

“You’re either gonna have to land a cushy job that allows for tenure or something with high job security, or you’re gonna have to man up and learn how to not freak out over job applications. I don’t know how many more application submissions you can endure,” said Axel, picking up speed as traffic opened up. “Either way, we’re gonna do some uber-coaching so you don’t _actually_ vomit on whoever ends up interviewing you. That would probably count against you when they reviewed candidates.”

“I wouldn’t say no to the help,” Roxas agreed. He smoothed the envelope flat, then gave it a firm pat. “But you know what? I have a good feeling about this one.”

“You were _literally_ two steps away from a panic attack this morning before you clicked the apply button,” Axel laughed, “but you know what? I have a good feeling about this one, too.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Title comes from FFXV (And I listened to it a LOT on repeat to get this chapter done)


	14. I wanna gather up the pieces

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **I'M SORRY**

People did terrible things for love.

Well… maybe that was a _little_ overly dramatic, but as he sat in the living room, staring at the computer screen as the system booted for the first time, Roxas couldn’t help but wonder how it’d all come to this.

He was lying to his boyfriend-- the guy he maybe actually loved _..._ like…. _love-loved_ \-- and it was at a point where he was in so deep, any confession of the truth would only ruin everything. Not that he _wanted_ to keep lying to Axel, and he _would_ tell him the whole story and scope of things come what may, but only after it was all done, because he owed him that and didn’t want to keep secrets from him. But… he loved him, and he wanted to keep him safe from the mess that was the _other_ part of his life for as long as possible. As long as there was danger-- and Aqua assured him that this was still the case, would be the case until they finished it-- he wanted to do everything in his power to keep him safe.

So he lied to Axel because he loved him.

But the worst of it was that he was lying to Axel because he loved Ven, and Ven had asked him to do this-- his letter and ‘gifts’ were evidence enough of that. He’d given Roxas everything he needed to find the answer-- the only problem was, Roxas still hadn’t figured out what the mystery question was. Aqua could only help so much from the shadows, and Terra had gone completely dark after the night of the accident. He needed to contact her, he knew that, but he wanted to get all the pieces in order before he handed them over. Ven had trusted him with this. He needed to see it through the end.

The computer screen flashed briefly, catching his eye, but it was just letting him know that it was installing updates and would be ready momentarily. He dropped his gaze and turned his attention back to the strange piece of paper that had been tucked into the munny notes for his Walt World tickets.

The newspaper clipping was fairly old-- maybe 10, 15 years, judging by the yellowing paper and faded ink. The picture was blurry, but he could still make out the caption under it: _Xehanort plants proposal for Radiant Gardens as workers break ground at Shinra Facility._

He’d skimmed the article to see if there was any hidden clue, anything that might explain why Ven had cut it out from what was probably archival materials and hidden it for all those months. He still had no idea how Ven had arranged for the box, but he could try to ask him once Xion had left and they had the limited privacy of a highly-monitored hospital ward. In the meantime, he’d snapped a photo of the article and sent it to Aqua, asking her if she knew what to do with it.

The article was one of those small local business features-- or, it had been a small local business at the time. Shinra Corporation had more or less exploded overnight (well, a few months after the article had been published), once the then-head of the Department of Sustainability had helped pass legislation allowing for alternative energy sources. The article talked about Xehanort’s association with small business leaders such as Preston Shinra and the Head’s efforts to revitalize the city through business development and planning.

It was interesting enough to read-- he’d forgotten that the city was called Hallowed Bastion, for instance-- but there was nothing in the article about a ‘Kingdom Hearts’, nothing that made the situation seem out of the ordinary. If there was a clue to be found, Roxas wasn’t getting it.

The computer dinged again, the beep of the operating system coming online, but there was no welcome screen, no normal boot-up sequence with licenses flashing across the screen as programs loaded for a system that was, theoretically, booting for the first time. Instead, there was some sort of home screen with a small sprite man in a weird tech suit in the middle of the screen, waving at him.

Roxas stared at it a moment, pressing ‘enter’ on the keyboard to see if that would load anything, and when that didn’t work, he started testing some of the function keys, anything to get a response or some sort of input thing. Each wrong push of the button made the sprite-man jump, shake his head, and wag a finger at him. It probably would’ve been endearing if it wasn’t so obnoxious and frustrating, Ven had clearly spent some time programming the character’s actions into this…. whatever it was.

When he ran out of ideas for keys to push, he sighed, slouching back on the couch and glaring at the irritating pixel man.

“How the hell am I supposed to get past this?” he asked the pixel man, not really expecting a response. To his surprise, the pixel man saluted, then pointed to the top of the screen. Roxas leaned forward again, and the man pointed up.

Roxas followed the direction of its hand, and was surprised to see that the webcam at the top of the screen was lit-- apparently that program loaded, at least, but why it would be filming him was beyond him. Maybe a biometrical optics key? If that was the case then he was screwed-- only Ven or whoever had been registered as a user could get in. Unless, of course, he hacked in and found a way around the biometrics, but that was a pain in the ass, and he’d have to figure out something he could inject into the code before it loaded to this screen and locked him out.

The pixel man jumped again, apparently trying to get his attention, and when Roxas looked down at him again, he covered his mouth, then pointed to the bottom of the screen. Roxas could figure this one out all on his own. He unmuted the computer’s speakers and was immediately rewarded with an 8-bit sounding audio clip that was probably meant to sound like a cheer.

The sprite clapped his hands, the sound coming out now more of a 32-bit sound, then the sprite stood at attention in the middle of the screen, hands tucked behind his back.

“Greetings, User,” it said, voice surprisingly lifelike, although there remained a bit of a pixelated garble to it. “What is your command?”

“Inquiry,” Roxas said at once, scooting the computer closer so he could get a better look. “What is the name of this program?”

“I am the Truly Remarkable Operator NPC,” replied the program that, of course, could be nothing other than Xion’s TRON. Or, a copy of it, anyway. This one had been Ven’s-- or, more probably, Ven’s copy of the program for Roxas. Roxas could see why Xion had fallen into the habit of calling it ‘he’, though-- it was good for an AI, _really_ good. So good that he was pretty sure Ven probably hadn’t come up with it all on his own, which meant….

“Inquiry: Who were the program writers?” he asked, knowing Ven would be listed as one, wondering if Aqua or Terra were the other.

TRON crossed his arms and shook his head. “Invalid query,” it said, a touch of disapproval in its voice. “Access to that information is denied.”

Roxas chewed on his lip, thinking about phrasing. Sometimes you could get around access gates like this if you knew _just_ what to ask, and how. The ease of hacking into something wasn’t so much as breaking the system as it was working around its flaws. Even an excellent AI would be subject to the same vulnerabilities-- it was just coding, after all.

“Inquiry: Who are the registered users for this program?” he asked instead, but he received another negative headshake.

“Access to that information is denied,” it said again.

“Am I even a registered user?” he asked, since there wasn’t much point trying to get information if the program wouldn’t even let him access anything else on the drive. He could remove it, of course, and try to access the data remotely, but it was probably all encrypted and secured behind the coding wall that was TRON. It would require finesse, a lot of cursing, and a lot of patience to make any headway.

It would also require a lot more creative lying to Axel-- he wouldn’t be able to use the excuse of working on the program for school and job applications anymore to hide what he was really doing. A pet project inherited from Ven might work, but it would be difficult to hide the fact that this project talked back and was _clearly_ being used to hide something. He frowned, the thought of more lies sitting heavy in his stomach.

“Affirmative. User Repeat,” it said, hands back behind its back, standing at attention. Roxas stumbled over that a moment, until he realized that the program meant that Ven had registered him as “Repeat” instead of Roxas. He let out a slow breath, giving it a weak smile. Well, it wasn’t a _lot_ , but it was something. And something meant he could work with it.

“Inquiry: What level of access does this account have, and what abilities?” he asked.

The screen went black, and for a panicky moment, Roxas thought he’d managed to kill the program, or that TRON had shut off the system because he’d asked the wrong thing. However, the screen flickered to life again, showing a new screen with a more familiar desktop GUI, complete with program icons. He swallowed around the sudden lump in his throat-- Ven had set the picture of their graduation day to the desktop wallpaper on this machine, too.

TRON popped up in the bottom right-hand corner, smiling at Roxas as he began to walk across the screen and point to the various icons. Roxas had a sudden, hilarious flashback to the damn stapler from their old word-processing program, and bit back a laugh. TRON might not be able to register laughter, but he didn’t want to risk missing information by getting sidetracked.

“User Repeat has access to all User functionalities,” explained TRON, pointing to the top folder. “Access granted to collected memories and images.” He ‘walked’ down the screen to the next icon, pointing at it. “Access to scheduling and projected deadlines.” Down to the next icon. “Access to logs and records.” Then down to the last icon. “Access to mobility application.”

“What’s that?” Roxas asked, frowning at the ‘mobility app’ icon, which looked like an old floppy disk. TRON stood at attention beside the icon, gesturing as he spoke.

“Permission to download this program to mobile devices, including phones, tablets, and USBs,” it said, holding up examples of each as it spoke.

“No offense, but why would I need mobile access for you?” Roxas asked, then remembered himself and hurriedly added, “Um, Inquiry: What function does mobile access grant?”

“Command lines are not required for discussion,” replied TRON, and if Roxas hadn’t known better he’d have sworn that it was _laughing_ at him. “Mobility access grants use of decryption tools when connected to networks and online databases.”

“Decryption tools… so you’re saying that if I plug you into a port or connect you to the Internet-- or an Intranet-- you’ll start decrypting any encrypted files you encounter?” he asked, feeling his heartbeat begin to pick up. What the hell had Ven been working on, and _why_?

“For faster response time, limited parameters are recommended,” said TRON, getting that amused expression back on his face. “But the primary application of the mobile app is for file decryption and FTP services. Please note-- these services require a username and password before they are operational.”

Roxas mulled that over, thinking about all of the places Ven might’ve intended to use TRON, and how. But a program like TRON would probably get flagged as a security breach as soon as it hit a firewall, and while Ven might have an idea of how to get around the system and set the parameters for file extraction, Roxas had no idea, since he had no idea where to even start looking.

“Why did Ven add me as a registered user?” he asked aloud, not really asking TRON, but the program responded anyway.

“You are a backup User in case the Primary User fails,” it said. “When the Primary User profile deactivated, the secondary User Profile Repeat activated in Legacy Mode, and was granted extended privileges of the program.”

“...What do you mean, deactivated?” Roxas asked, but TRON shook his head, arms crossed.

“Access to that information is denied,” it said. Roxas sighed and pulled out his phone to text Aqua.

“You’re gonna be a pain in the ass to work with, I can already tell,” he said, then tucked the phone back into his pocket. “But I haven’t met a program I couldn’t crack in the end.”

TRON shifted to stand with hands on hips, daring Roxas to try something. “You are not like Primary User,” it said, but it was smiling. “Primary User always said incorporating Legacy Mode into the User Repeat profile would cause trouble.”

“Primary User… you mean Ven?”

“Access to that information is denied.”

“Of course it is.”

\- - - -

“Mmm, you’re late,” mumbled Axel as Roxas finally made his way into bed. Roxas gave him an apologetic peck on the cheek before climbing into his side of the bed, although Axel dragged him back against him and tucked his face against Roxas’ neck. “Got started without you.”

“Sorry, I was fighting the computer,” said Roxas, but Axel was already half-asleep again, sighing into Roxas’ hair.

“Fight fight fight,” was all Roxas could make before he felt Axel fall asleep, muscles relaxing and grip loosening.

He could’ve pulled away-- it probably would’ve been more comfortable, given how much heat Axel always gave off-- but he stayed where he was, hands coming up to rest on top of Axel’s. He _liked_ cuddling, damn it, and it had been a long and frustrating night. TRON was sort of a sarcastic asshole, and didn’t want to give up any information that ‘User Repeat’ was not privileged to know.

They’d at least gotten to first name terms, but it had taken nearly 20 minutes to convince TRON to call him Roxas and not Repeat. (This was after a brief interim where TRON had changed Roxas’ name to PEBKAC, and Roxas threatened to install the drive into an old system with a slower processor if it didn’t change his username.) He could already tell that any and every encounter was likely to be an uphill battle.

He’d dismantled the PC again, hiding the hard drive in an old cassette tape case (why did they even still HAVE those in the apartment?). He wasn’t really worried about Axel seeing the program, but if Xion had come back early and turned it on without him knowing, well, she’d recognize TRON right away, and questioning the program would quickly lead to her discovering that it wasn’t _her_ TRON, but another version of the program, which would lead to questions about what _Roxas’_  TRON was for, and why Ven had left it for him… which wasn’t something he wanted to deal with, if he could avoid it, especially once he’d learned more about what those ‘extended privileges’ were.

Aqua hadn’t responded to his texts, either. Initially he thought that the more exclamation points he put in for emphasis, the more likely she might be to respond, but that was before he looked at the clock and realized it was 4 in the morning, and that even Master Aqua probably had to sleep at some point.

For one wild and irrational minute, he’d actually considered calling up Zexion and dumping the whole mess in the agent’s lap. He was, after all, Ven’s previous partner, or at least they shared a cubicle, and they’d gone out for drinks a couple times each month. He’d volunteered for guard duty before the Turks had taken over, after all. Zexion could ensure that the proper people got to looking into it, maybe even use it to help Ven. Zexion would be in the perfect position to act upon… well, whatever information Ven had found and encrypted.

But Ven had also more or less told him that he couldn’t trust anyone in the force, Aqua and Terra notwithstanding, and Zexion was…. Well, he wasn’t as creepy as Xemnas, but he definitely gave off a “I know more about your life than you do, and the things I have seen should make you feel terrible about yourself” kind of vibe, which didn’t really foster any great affection on Roxas’ end. He probably meant well, but….probably better to hold off until he’d heard from Aqua.

Tomorrow-- or, actually, later today-- he’d try reaching out to her again, maybe try calling her or something if he could sneak away for a few minutes. She’d be irritated, of course, and he’d get another lecture about abusing his emergency line, but from what he’d gleaned from TRON, this was big, possibly even the breakthrough they’d been looking for.

\- - -

He got the call later that morning-- well, ok, it was actually past noon, but he hadn’t made it out of bed yet, so his day hadn’t officially started yet. Axel had stayed in bed until 9:30 or so, reading stuff on his phone and acting as a body pillow as Roxas cuddled against him, only half awake. Roxas had fallen asleep again, and Axel was up and showered and making noises in the kitchen as though he was preparing… well, probably lunch.

Roxas only woke up because the phone started buzzing again, an angry, insistent noise. When he realized what it was, he fumbled for it before the call ended, managing to catch it before it went to voicemail.

“H’llo?” he said, although he really wanted to ask Aqua why it’d taken her so long to respond.

It was just as well that he hadn’t, though; the voice on the other end of the phone raised the hackles on the back of his neck.

“Am I calling at a bad time?” asked Xemnas, voice smooth and definitely _not_ who Roxas had been expecting to hear. He shot up and yanked the covers off, shifting to the edge of the bed and trying to straighten his appearance a little more. Not that Xemnas could _see_ , of course, but there was something in the way the man spoke that suggested that he knew Roxas looked underdressed and found it amusing to ‘see’ him so vulnerable.

“Ah, no, no sir,” Roxas said, using his foot to pick up the clothes on his floor and toss them into the hamper. “I just wasn’t expecting to hear from you so early.”

“It’s past noon, Lux,” came the amused reply, and Roxas flushed in embarrassment, even though the bastard couldn’t see it. How the hell had Ven worked under this guy for three years?

“Ah, Sir, I meant I wasn’t expecting to hear from you this weekend,” he said, hoping that didn’t sound as accusatory as he felt it ought to be. It hadn’t even been two days, and he’d figured submitting on Friday meant that the department wouldn’t get to it before tomorrow.

Xemnas let out a low chuckle.”Don’t think of this as a professional call,” he said, and Roxas could practically see him leaning back in his chair, feet propped on the desk in his office. “I’ve experienced an issue with your game, and I’m calling for customer support.”

“O-oh, um, ok, ah, ok Sir,” Roxas managed to get out. “ What seems to be the problem?” Sure he sounded like an idiot, but that was the purpose of this call, right? Why the hell else would Xemnas be calling him on a Satday afternoon to ask him about his project?

“I’m not leveling fast enough,” Xemnas said. “I’ve run out of paopu fruit items, and the recharge is taking too long.”

“Oh!” Roxas said, relieved that there wasn’t an actual bug two days after the police chief started playing, and thinking it might be hilarious to imagine the man playing the cutesy game if he didn’t dislike him so much. He stood up and padded over to his dresser to find something clean, switching his phone to speaker so he could talk hands-free and focus on getting dressed.

“That’s a micro-transaction feature that’s built in, Sir, for monetization purposes. When the band releases a full version of the game, they’ll have a shop where players can buy stuff to recharge more quickly. It allows the band to raise a bit of revenue to help pay for the server maintenance and swag, if they decide to go that route.”

“Well, it’s hardly live now, is it?”

Roxas paused, only one sock on. “Well, no… I mean, the beta version is live but they haven’t officially launched--”

“Surely you have the framework in place that allows you to send an account additional resources,” Xemnas said, not outwardly _asking_ for said replenishment items, but clearly suggesting that it was a simple thing that could--and should-- be done. Roxas frowned, pulling on his other sock before answering.

“It could be done, Sir, although, as I said, that’s a feature that’s not really live right now…” he said, not wanting to outright tell his potential boss ‘no.’ “If you set the game aside for a bit, you should be back to full charge in an hour or so. It’s sort of built in to make sure that people don’t spend too much time on their phones.”

There was silence on the other end of the line, which Roxas took to mean that Xemnas didn’t appreciate the suggestion, or that he thought that Roxas was too stupid to pick up on his subtle hint. “If you think the charge bar takes too long, though, you can send in a bug report or suggestion through the system so it gets logged, and I can officially update the patch notes later.”

“I was thinking something a little less… formal,” purred Xemnas, and Roxas stared at the phone.

“Sir, with all due respect…. I think it’s best that all requests are sent through the normal channels,” he said, swallowing around the lump in his throat. “If I were to send recharge items, it might, um, look like I’m trying to bribe you into giving me a job.”

Xemnas laughed, sounding more amused than irritated, but Roxas flinched all the same.

“I suppose you have a point,” he said, and Roxas heard the squeak of his chair as he moved. “I’ll file your bug report, then, so we can keep thing _on the straight and narrow._ ” Roxas let out a breath he didn’t know he’d been holding, but Xemnas wasn’t done quite yet. “Will the patch be in place before Wednesday?”

“Wednesday, Sir?”

“Before your interview, of course,” Xemnas replied. “I’d like to see how quickly you can implement requests.”

“Oh. Oh! Yes Sir, I can definitely have it updated by Wednesday,” Roxas agreed. He hesitated, then said, “Please be sure to send me the report so I can log it right away.”

“I’ll have the secretary set something up,” said Xemnas, clearly done with this conversation. He hung up before Roxas could reply, and Roxas muttered under his breath about overbearing assholes as he turned off his phone again and started pulling on his shirt.

“What a dick,” said Axel, and Roxas jumped, clutching the dresser to steady himself as Axel walked in. “Why the hell do you want to work for him again?”

“I _don’t_ , but--” Roxas closed his eyes and blew out another long breath. “It’s complicated.”

“Well, go to the interview anyway, but don’t accept any offers they give you, because we’re gonna find you a _good_ job, one that’ll treat you right and help you get out of scholarship penalties and stuff. In the meantime...” he tugged Roxas’ sleeve towards the other room. “I made food. Dem said he’s picked up the girls and they’re enroute, so if you need quiet time to collect yourself, it’s now or never.”

“You’re a lifesaver,“ sighed Roxas, leaning over and pulling Axel down for a kiss. “I’d say we should just hang out on the couch but whatever you made smells _fantastic_ and I’m starving.”

“Ah yes, bacon and eggs with a side of toast, the breakfast of champions,” Axel laughed. “Hurry up, it’s gonna get cold.”

“Have I ever told you you’re the best?” Roxas asked, sliding into the chair and picking up his fork to dig in. It tasted buttery and fluffy and incredible, and he had to force himself to eat at a normal pace, although he was finally awake enough to realize how hungry he was. When Axel placed a cup of coffee in front of him, he sighed in content. “Ah man, I love you.”

He’d not actually meant to _say_ that, he’d been caught up in the soon-to-be-caffeinated moment, but it’d slipped off his tongue so easily, it was almost like he’d been saying it for ages. He stilled, wondering if he should try to backtrack or something, but Axel just leaned over the table and ruffled his hair.

“Love you too,” he replied as though it was the easiest thing in the world to say, but he grinned at Roxas over his cup. “Although I hope you love me for more than my mad coffee-making skills.”

“Don’t forget your champion-rate cooking skills, too,” Roxas said, feeling his cheeks flush and trying to stop the stupid grin that was spreading across his face. He decided to shovel in more food instead of blurting out anything else incriminating, and Axel sipped his coffee without pursuing it any farther.

Because… they didn’t need to. They’d been saying it in little things over the months they’d gotten to know each other-- even before they’d officially started dating. Axel making him breakfast and coffee because he knew that Roxas could barely function in the morning. Roxas making sure that he moved the heaviest art supply boxes so Axel wouldn’t risk hurting his back (since he didn’t weight train or lift, like… at all). Even Axel sending that stupid ‘appolopizza’ all those months ago-- it might not’ve been intended as a gesture of affection at the time, but Roxas couldn’t help but love the thought and sincerity behind it.

And of course, just when they were having a moment, the cavalry arrived. Xion made enough noise on her own, but apparently adding Demyx, Olette, and (surprisingly) Namine into the mix turned the volume up tenfold. It was a good kind of chaos, though-- the place felt bright and cheery as they talked about the upcoming party that night, and the new music.

“Wait, you’ve _all_ listened to the new CD already? Seriously?” Roxas asked, then turned to give Demyx a dirty look. “I thought we were _friends_.”

“We had it playing on the way over,” said Demyx, holding up his hands to ward off Roxas’ stink eye. “And we _are_ friends. In fact….” he grinned and nodded to the table, and Roxas noticed the nondescript envelope sitting on the coffee table.

“You brought it over?” said Roxas, immediately reaching over to pick it up and pull out the CD inside.

“Well, it’s a rip, we won’t have the officially printed CDs until the album kickoff later this month, but… yeah!” Demyx wagged a finger at him. “But it’s top secret and stuff, so you’ve gotta hold onto and you can’t let anyone borrow it or anything or Larxene will murder me, then come after you and anyone else who’s heard it before it’s released. It’s like….. _The Ring._ ”

“Who needs lawyers when you have Lark?” Axel laughed, watching Roxas hook up the old stereo system he’d rigged to the tv, and in a few minutes, the familiar strains of Demyx’s opening song filled the room. Roxas bounced back to the couch to soak it all in, leaning against Axel as the song played. Demyx mouthed along with the words, and during a particularly long instrumental break, he turned back to Roxas.

“I also figured it would be easier to hear _here_ than in Luxord’s place, since, y’know, the place gets kinda noisy.”

“I’m definitely gonna be listening to this on repeat for the immediate future,” laughed Roxas, tilting his head as a new, unfamiliar song began. “Now hush, I wanna hear this.”

\- - -

Demyx had been right-- it was impossible to hear the music over the noise. And Axel had been right, too-- the band _hadn’t_ finished getting everything together, but Paine, the collected woman who introduced herself as their manager, didn’t seem too worried.

“It’s mostly taken care of,” she told Roxas at one of the quieter tables. “All that’s really left is finalizing the tour spots and confirming hotels. It’ll be easy, compared to the last tour I had to put together.”

“What was that?” Roxas asked, half-listening to the woman as he watched his sister dancing with one after the other of the band members, and wondering if he should be worried. She was an adult, though, she could take care of herself. Also, it looked like it was some variation of the Chocobo dance, so if she wanted to look like an idiot and flap her arms in an area where there were phones recording everything for posterity and potential blackmail, he wasn’t going to stop her. Besides, it looked like Axel had the blackmail aspect covered, so there was no need for him to go over there and film it.

“ _A Thousand Words_ ,” Paine replied in the dry, humor-tinged tone she’d maintained throughout the entire evening, also watching the band members ‘wark’ their way through the song. Roxas was pretty sure her job was just glorified babysitting; dealing with Demyx when he was in a creative fervor would--

“ _What??”_ he asked, spitting out his drink and coughing as her response kicked in. “You’re the manager for _The Summoners?_ ”

“Yuna was never the issue, it was her boyfriend,” said Paine, apparently used to that reaction. “He had this self-imposed goal to be the loudest fan at her concerts. He usually succeeded, but it worked out well enough, I suppose.”

“So you think Heartless is on par with _The Summoners?_ ” Roxas asked, watching Demyx, Olette, and Xion running through the the chicken dance.

“Radiant Garden has some great locally grown talent,” Paine agreed. “If they’re smart, _Heartless_ can make it big.”

She shifted her gaze, to the onlookers. “Lots of local talent,” she said, nodding at Axel. “That’s the artist who painted the album cover, it’s a striking image. He’ll go far, too, if he plays his cards right. He actually got me in touch with the band, since he knew Yuna through Tidus. I saw how he fixed Tidus’ tattoo. He does good work, on canvas and off.”

“Yeah, he’s…” Axel took that moment to turn and caught Roxas’ eye. He grinned, waved his phone, and gave the thumbs up symbol, confirming that he had, in fact, filmed Xion dancing like a giant chicken. If nothing else, Ven would get a kick out of it. Roxas laughed and waved back, feeling the flush on his cheeks as Axel turned his attention back to the band. Roxas could feel Paine’s attention, but he didn’t care. “He’s the best.”

\- - -

It was a long night. Good, but long. He would’ve liked to have slept in a bit longer, but Axel was restless despite the early hour they’d turned in, and he was out in the kitchen by 9, which meant Roxas couldn’t really sleep in late again without feeling super guilty. For whatever reason, Xion had opted to bunk over on Axel and Demyx’s couch, but she usually did her own thing, so… it would be fine, he’d meet up with her later.

He needed to stop in to see Ven anyway, since he hadn’t had a chance yesterday, and Friday had been busy, too. Aerith had said there’d been more improvements-- they were working on short, supervised walks around the room-- so, knowing Ven, that meant that he’d be _mobile_ and stir crazy before long. A visit that involved an armful of books would probably be best. Besides, Axel had said something about getting inspired for another piece for the show, so he’d be able to keep himself amused when Roxas went off to do his own thing. And he had stuff at Roxas’ place, so it wasn’t like he’d have to trek back across town to get his supplies from his apartment. He could just hang out and then they could figure out something to do when Roxas-- and theoretically Xion, unless she’d planned something else-- showed up.

So, he had a tentative game plan, but for whatever reason he still felt restless, like he needed to _move_. Maybe he was overly tired, maybe it was the new music on his playlist, maybe it was the whole TRON thing, but he’d already come to the conclusion that a quick shower wasn’t going to cut it this morning. As Axel settled in to draw on the couch, Roxas geared up and went for a quick run to clear his head.

He jogged around the sleepy neighborhood, his mind inevitably rolling over everything that had happened, everything that _could_ potentially happen. They were close. TRON and his extensive logs and weird permissions was evidence enough of that. They had all the pieces, but he didn’t know where to look, and one mistake could set off a chain reaction of mistakes they couldn’t recover from. Maybe Aqua and her team had more information, but she hadn’t shared it with him, and he had a feeling she wouldn’t tell him, even if he’d asked.

He wished she’d call, or text, or _something_. They were close. Close to what, precisely, he didn’t know, but they were close.

He thought over other leads he could follow all through his run, then as he walked and stretched during his cooldown. He still had no ideas when he got home and gave Axel a weary hello, and nothing came to him when he hopped in the shower. He blanked out a bit when Axel _joined_ him in the bathroom as he toweled off, and then he took a quick nap (so he was tired, it happened.)

Of course, his impromptu mid-morning nap meant that he missed Aqua’s call, and instead woke up to a text. It wasn’t a message per se, just a time set for later that afternoon, in one of the more crowded meeting spots. Either she thought that her disguise was good enough to go unnoticed on a busy campus, or she figured the information he could offer was worth the risk of getting spotted in a place where she could try blending in with the locals. He wasn’t sure he was comfortable with either of those possibilities, but he dutifully texted back a confirmation that yes, he’d be there.

“I’m starting to get jealous of this beta tester of yours and I don’t even know what she looks like,” huffed Axel from behind him, pulling the phone out of Roxas’ hands and chucking it on the bed. “I thought the two of you were through?”

“I mean, the build is still technically in testing mode, and she wanted to let me know she managed to break one of the levels,” Roxas lied, reaching over to turn off the phone and putting it on the bedside table.

“I thought you had a bug tracking feature to take care of reporting those things,” Axel said, and Roxas could hear the tension in his voice. He looked up, surprised to see the irritated expression on Axel’s face. Roxas laughed-- who got jealous of beta testers?-- turning so he could pull Axel down for a quick kiss. Axel wasn’t letting him off so easily, though; he didn’t return the kiss, and he was outright frowning when Roxas pulled away. “If there’s something else going on, I think I have a right to know.”

“Axel, for the last time, I swear there’s nothing romantic going on between Anna and me,” Roxas promised, happy that, at least, wasn’t a lie. “Why does me talking to her bother you so much? Do you honestly think I would cheat on you?”

Axel frowned, crossing his arms and not meeting Roxas’ eye. “I can’t always figure you out,” he admitted at last. “I know your brain runs at quantum speeds and that sometimes it takes you a while to fully explain what you’re thinking. I get that, I can live with that-- we can work on it, better communication, together. But sometimes I feel like you’re saying one thing to avoid saying something else, and I’ve _been_ down that road before. If this is just some...” Axel broke off, unable to finish the thought.

Roxas almost told him.

Axel was finally looking at him again, and he could see the remembered pain tightening the muscles around Axel’s eyes, feel the vulnerability and stiffness in Axel’s pose. Axel didn’t deserve being lied to, he didn’t deserve getting involved in the shit that followed the Luxes wherever they went.

But in the end, Roxas loved him.

So, he lied.

“I am not hiding anything,” he said, then padded the lie on a bed of truth. “You are one of the most important people in the world to me, and I’m sorry I suck at communication. I’m trying to get better. Words are hard sometimes, but I’m trying. I am more grateful than you know that you’re willing to put up with me, and I promise I will keep working on being better at telling you what’s going on. Please believe me when I say that.”

Axel didn’t look happy, but some of the tension fell away, and he nodded, uncrossing his arms. “I believe you,” he said at last.

Roxas let out a long breath, and, feeling like a complete and utter asshole, said, “I have to run to school to meet with one of my advisors, let them know about the game’s progress and the new bugs, but I shouldn’t be too long. It’ll be an hour, two, tops, and then we can grab groceries and I’ll cook you that fish dish I promised, ok?”

Axel’s face went blank. “You’re meeting Leonhart?”

“I’ve got a couple of things to turn in, including new bug reports, and apparently there are leads for other jobs. Anything I can do to not work under Xemnas, right?” Roxas said, giving Axel a reassuring smile and hating himself for it.

Fortunately, it seemed to do the trick. The tension broke and Axel laughed, pulling him in for a hug. “Yeah. I wouldn’t wish that asshole on anyone.”

\- - -

Aqua was waiting for him when he finally got to the meeting spot, dressed in her grungy Academy hoodie and ripped jeans, looking for all the world like an art student soaking up some sun. She hopped off the railing as he approached, and pulled him in for a quick, but firm hug.

“We’re so close!” she said, sounding like herself for the first time in almost a year. She was smiling at him, full of hope and excitement, and Roxas felt some of the guilt slide off his chest. _It was worth it. They were doing the right thing, and everything was gonna be ok_.

“We’ve been working on the article and transcript of the letter, trying to compare content to see if there are words that appear in both, or patterns that might indicate where to start looking. Nothing yet, but…” she trailed off, leaning back against the railing. “We’re close. I can feel it. And it’s all thanks to you, Roxas.”

“Ven did all the hard stuff, laying groundwork and everything,” Roxas said, unable to take the credit. “I’m just seeing this through for him. When this is all done, you can go tell him yourself how he saved the day. He could use a little ego stroking, I think.”

She laughed, pulling out her phone to check a message, and frowned, her posture stiffening. Her eyes flicked up to take in the area around them, but from what Roxas could tell, it was just the usual traffic of a quiet park close to a large campus. There were students, a few retirees and stay-at-home parents, but the place was quiet, serene even.

“I’m going to have to head out sooner than expected,” she said, tapping out a reply on the phone before tucking it back into her pocket. “You managed to grab the program?”

“I copied what I could without having to do too much digging, and I don’t know if I’ve entered all of the stuff correctly, but it should give you enough to prep copies if nothing else,” he said, reaching into his pocket to fish to the USB. “The program is kinda snarky and a pain in the ass to deal with. I still don't know if I managed to make you a registered user or not.”

“Knowing who wrote it, that’s hardly a surprise,” Aqua said, though her voice was tired, smile forced. She held out her hand as Roxas finally found the damn thing, and he was reaching over to give it to her when a voice cut through the late afternoon chatter of the park.

“So, I was trying to convince myself that I’ve just been paranoid and I couldn’t possibly be seeing what I’m seeing, but honestly? A whole lot of things are lining up and making a lot more sense.”

Roxas froze. Aqua took the USB from his outstretched hand and put it away into a back pocket, then frowned over Roxas’ shoulder. She didn’t seem all that surprised by the interruption, but she wasn’t happy, either. She made no further moves, hands tucked behind her back, feet set wide in a defensive stance. Apparently she was going to let Roxas take care of this.

Roxas… well, he actually wasn’t feeling much at the moment, given that his heart has stopped with that voice, and the anger and disappointment in those words had cut off all brain functions that would’ve let him come up with an excuse on the spot. Even if he actually _wanted_ to lie his way through this-- which he didn’t-- he was physically unable to do so.

He turned slowly, already knowing and dreading what he’d see, but he still flinched at the white-faced fury and hurt on Axel’s face as he looked from Roxas to Aqua. Axel shook his head and crossed his arms, mimicking Aqua’s stance as he stopped in front of them.

“I feel like this is one of those things that maybe you should have brought up, but since you didn’t, it means there’s a shit ton of other stuff you haven’t told me either. So if you have something to say to me, now’s the time.”


	15. Yours....

Axel liked to think that he was a good guy.

Not perfect, no one’s perfect, and he knew he had his own foibles and flaws. He colored his conversations with curses more thickly than he applied paint to his canvases, drank more often than was healthy, probably enjoyed sex more than was socially acceptable, and felt no remorse about any of it. He paid his bills on time, he made it a point to never make a promise he couldn’t keep, and he tried to be understanding and empathetic when people made mistakes or disappointed him. They were all only human, after all, they could talk things through. Sometimes people messed up.

Sometimes people messed up real bad.

Sometimes people messed up in such a bad way that they brought everyone around them down with them, which meant that everyone else got fucked through no fault of their own.

 _That_ was a little more difficult to forgive.

So when Roxas went out for a run and his crappy tester phone started to ring, Axel figured that his current personal karmatic scale was probably tipped in his favor. Roxas would forgive him giving into his curiosity-- taking a peek couldn’t be _that_ big a deal, right? It wasn't every day _The Second Phone_ rang, nor was it normal for Roxas to leave it unlocked, so Axel took it for what it was-- _clearly_ a sign from fate. All the indications from the universe we're saying “pick up the phone.”

So he did.

Axel picked it up before it went to voicemail, answering “Lux’s phone,” figuring this mysterious beta tester might give him some indication of how much longer the testing would be going on, since he couldn't get a straight answer out of Roxas. And, ok, maybe he was a little paranoid and wanted to assure himself that he didn't have any competition-- not that he thought Roxas would actually cheat on him. The guy was… not _dense_ , but considering how hard Axel had been flirting and how much it took for Roxas to realize that, it wasn't out of the realm of possibilities that she’d been flirting with him too and he just hadn’t picked up on her interest. So, it never hurt to sort of…. establish territorial lines, right?

There was a pause, but he could hear sounds on the other end of the phone, so the caller hadn't hung up. He was about to repeat himself when the caller finally answered.

“Who is this? Is Lux there?”

The woman sounded older than he'd expected, but then Roxas had never said she was a fellow student. Maybe one of his past teachers? Probably not a cougar. Axel felt his shoulders sink a little lower, some of the tension falling away.

“This is Axel, I'm guessing you're the one I've been hearing about?” He asked, fishing for more information.

“This is Anna. Is Roxas there?” She didn’t take the bait, but she did supply, “I found that broken file link we talked about and I wanted to walk him through it.”

So, they really _had_ been talking about bugs, and he was just being stupidly paranoid. He _knew_ Roxas wouldn’t be cheating on him, and while it wasn’t the most normal situation to have two phones to speak to a mystery debugger, it was Roxas, and Roxas’ hold on normalcy was tentative at best.

“He's out for a run, should be back in an hour or so,” Axel replied, warming to her a little more.  “Do you want me to have him give you a call?

“That's not necessary, thank you. I'll just send him the info and include my notes so he can text me if he has questions.”

There was an awkward pause; clearly they were both out of their element in this and neither of them really knew how to proceed, given that he had picked up Roxas’ phone without permission, and he had no idea what to do with directions about broken codes.

“Thanks for helping him out on this,” Axel said at last, not really sure of what else to say and how to sort of apologize for assuming the worst when she called. “I know having someone check his work has been a big relief, so thanks for helping him say sane.”  
She laughed, a rich, gentle thing. “The pleasure is all mine,” she replied. “It's been interesting working with him, he's going to go far. He’s a good kid.”

So she _was_ older than Roxas-- probably older than Axel, too, based on how she spoke, although it was always hard to tell without visuals. He smiled, though, feeling the warmth in that shared sentiment.

“Yeah, he is.”

That warmth had dimmed a little when he heard another one of Roxas’ test phones go off, alerting the world to an oncoming text. It faded a little more when he saw that the message was from “A” and that instead of being an attachment or message about coding, it was a time and location coordinates. He felt the last of the heat drain away when Roxas flat out lied to him about visiting Squall, and so of course he’d decided to follow-- at a distance, of course.

He hadn’t actually _planned_ on a course of action as he drove over, none of the potential conversations were coming out right, and it wasn’t like he really had any idea of what to expect. They’d been coding, apparently, but, they’d been doing _something else_ too, and as innocuous as the game seemed, Axel couldn’t shake the worry that whatever he was about to walk in on was a lot worse than what he’d be able to come up with.

Seeing ‘Anna’ and recognizing her almost immediately pretty much confirmed that.

Axel could almost pinpoint the moment the emotional numbness seeped into his joints and limbs. He managed to get off the bike, though, and fell into a languid gait that might’ve come off as sexy if he wasn’t only propelling himself on pure adrenaline alone. Once he started feeling again, he’d use his angry walk, which would get him halfway across the plaza in four steps.

As it was, he could feel the crispness in his voice as he interrupted their illicit handoff, and felt the was ice forming in his throat. He swallowed, trying to relax, and focused on speaking through the frost on his tongue.

“I feel like this is one of those things that maybe you should have brought up, but since you didn’t, it means there’s a shit ton of other stuff you haven’t told me either. So if you have something to say to me, now’s the time.”

He tucked his helmet into the crook of his elbow, forcing himself to keep his other hand at his side, knowing that if he had both hands on the thing he’d probably chuck it at both of them.

Something in his expression or pose must have given away his thoughts; Roxas visibly swallowed, dropping his hand and staring at him. “Axel…” he trailed off, but he offered no excuses, didn’t even _try_ to lie his way out of this one.

Axel watched him, then scoffed, shaking his head. “That’s what I thought.”

“It’s not… it’s not what it looks like,” Roxas said, and he probably knew it sounded lame, given the circumstances. “This is Anna, she’s not-- we’re not… she’s a friend, she’s not--”

“I _know_ who she is,” interrupted Axel, hating himself for the quaver in his voice. Axel gave a scornful, mocking, and bitter bark of laughter to cover it up, and saw Roxas flinch at the sound.

“I’m not stupid, Roxas. It’d be easier if this _was_ just about fooling around behind my back.” He blew out a long breath, and shook his head, fighting to keep his voice under control. “This is… this is worse. I can’t believe you’ve been _lying_ to me for, what, six months now?”

Aqua, for her part, stood at attention, but she wasn’t looking to start a fight. How the hell she’d even managed to _get_ to campus without getting picked up by cops was a mystery, one he didn’t care to answer. He was more interested in Roxas, who cringed under his gaze but offered up no explanations.

“Don’t blame Aq-Anna for this,” Roxas said, catching himself before he could name a person of interest in a very open, very public place. “This is all me. You’re pissed--”

“Do you _blame_ me?”

“---and I get that, but this is on me, not her. She didn’t do anything wrong.”

Aqua frowned, turning to Roxas and putting her hand on his shoulder. “Lux, I--”

“His name is _Roxas_ ,” hissed Axel, his hands clenching around the helmet. There was an audible _crack_ as something plastic snapped, but he paid it no mind. “He’s not Ven. He’s not a cop, he doesn’t have training or weapons or anything to keep him safe from _wanted criminals_ and you’re asking him to put his life on the line? For what? For you?”

“This is bigger than Ven, bigger than all of us,” Aqua replied, voice tense. She peered over her shoulder again, keeping her voice low. “Ven found evidence of something that had him scared but he couldn’t get it to us in time. That’s why he did what he did. He had to stop us from walking into a death trap.”

“And look where that got him!” snarled Axel. “He almost died, and he was a fully trained officer. Roxas is still a student in the Academy, you can’t just switch to the next model when the first one craps out on you!”

“Enough, Axel,” Roxas said, pulling on his arm to try to talk him down. Axel turned on him, furious.

“And you! You should know better! You’re gonna get yourself killed! Playing hero in your brother’s footsteps isn’t going to fix him,” Axel said, and Roxas recoiled, releasing his arm. The blond took a few steps back, but he kept his hands out, pleading.

“Axel--”

Axel shook his head, cutting him off. “I can’t believe you’ve been going along with this-- you’re not a cop, you don’t get paid to put your life on the line--”  
“I am, actually,” cut in Roxas, holding up his hands to hold off Axel’s angry reply. “I told you I picked up extra work to help pay bills.”

“So, what, they’re bribing you to work for them by holding your brother over you?”

“Dammit, no, it’s not like that, will you _listen_ to me? I just wrote some code, helped them set up observation spots, gather some data, that’s it! I’m not going in with guns blazing--”

“But you still ended up in the middle of all of this, and what’s worse is you’re not just putting your life on the line, it’s Ven, it’s your sister, it’s your friends--” he broke off, straightening his spine and turning away. “I’m not gonna be a part of this. I can’t stop you, I know you’re gonna do whatever the hell you want, but I’m not gonna help you get yourself killed.”

He jammed the helmet back on his head, then paused. He didn’t look at either of them as he spoke. “If you want to help your brother, you’d drop this and focus on helping him get better. Think about the people who care about you instead of yourself for a change. Get your shit together. And don't call me with more lies and excuses.”

Axel revved the engine and peeled away from the curb, willing himself as far away from the scene as possible. There was no point in staying to listen to more lies, no point in letting Roxas talk, because if he stayed the temporary numbness would fall away, and then he might get suckered into being persuaded into giving Roxas a second chance. He wasn’t in a forgiving mood.

He drove for a long time with no destination in mind. He focused on the purr of the engine, the wind whistling past his helmet and tugging at his clothes, the miles of road flitting by without much hesitation. He was so focused on _not_ thinking about things that he probably could’ve made it all the way to Paopu Groves and not noticed.

Fortunately, driving around the city with reckless abandon meant that he ran out of gas sooner rather than later, so he ended up at a pump, waiting for his tank to refill. He leaned against his bike, arms crossed, staring at his feet. He ran through everything, over and over, trying to figure out what the hell Roxas had expected by springing that sort of thing on him, and what he wanted Roxas to do about it.

He wanted… what the fuck _did_ he want?

He wanted to go back a couple of days, when his biggest concern was putting on pants so he wouldn’t upset his boyfriend’s little sister when she burst into the apartment. He wanted to go back a couple of months, when he was still getting excited about putting together pieces for a show, before Rose had shown up again and waltzed back into his life as though they were the dearest of friends. He wished he could go back a year, when he’d never heard that damn radio announcement and it was easy to flit between one night stands, no strings attached.

That was the problem, he'd gotten so tangled up and taken in by Roxas that moving on seemed like a miserable and impossible feat. A future without Roxas shouldn't seem so bleak and worthless, but the thought of it brought tears to his eyes.

He scrubbed a hand across his face and pulled out the hose, trying to get angry so he'd be able to avoid crying in a public place. The Luxes were nothing but damn trouble.

With that thought, he yanked out his phone and chose a number from the auto-dial list. The person on the other end of the call answered within three rings, but Axel cut him off before he could finish asking what was going on.

“I need to talk to you,” he said. “Meet me at Selphie’s in 20 minutes.” He hung up before he could get a reply, knowing he’d be there in plenty of time to order drinks for them both.

Reno showed up precisely 20 minutes after he’d gotten Axel’s call, and the only reason he probably appeared was because Axel never actually contacted his older brother unless there was a family thing going on or it was an emergency. Given his abrupt message, Reno most likely had assumed it was the latter, and looked confused when Axel slid a latte across the table at him, intense frown on his face.

“Why is Ventus Lux still walking free?” Axel asked without preamble. Reno just blinked at him.

“...I’m sorry?”

“Ventus Lux,” Axel repeated, watching his brother take a cautious sip of his drink. “Cop on extended medical leave, also under armed protection 24/7 by the people you hang out with on a professional level. Guy who got there by blowing up a building, but everyone seems to have forgotten that or something. He hasn’t been arrested, no charges have been filed, but he’s clearly under house arrest. What gives?”

Reno stiffened, took a deliberately long sip from his latte, then said, “That’s classified.”

“What about his partners? Why haven’t warrants for their arrests been released?” Axel asked, pressing for more information. Reno shook his head, took another sip.

“Also classified.”

“What happened that night? What the hell is going on?”

“That’s… complicated. And classified.”

“But you know, don’t you?” Axel pushed, wishing he’d paid more attention when Roxas went off on his paranoid musings (... _had_ they been paranoid? Shit.) About what had really happened the night of his Ven’s accident. So far as he’d known, Roxas didn’t have any solid facts, just guesses and conjectures that he’d gleaned from scant evidence. If he’d had any solid proof, he’d take it to the authorities, right?

..of course, given the company Roxas had apparently been keeping, maybe he’d found more than he let on. Was Aqua really the proper authorities, though, given that the police considered her a person of interest? If Roxas _had_ found something, why hadn’t he told anyone? ...Unless he had…?

“I mean, the fact that you instantly know what I’m talking about tells me that you’re more up on what’s going on than what’s normal for what’s typically a hired meat shield, which means--” Axel cut off, more things clicking into place and making an already shitty day take a nosedive. “You lying fuckface!”

The coffee shop went silent as the other patrons turned to gawk at the sudden outburst, but Axel was too damn _mad_ to care. He did lower his voice as he continued, though, glaring at his brother’s impassive face.

“You didn’t leave Social Services to go play soldier, you got reassigned to Witness Protection!” he said, and Reno just sort of shrugged, sipping his coffee and letting Axel talk himself out. Of course, as much as Axel wanted to keep ranting and cursing at his pig-headed brother who’d been keeping secrets from the family for _years_ , he also knew that he probably wouldn’t have cared as much if he wasn’t trying to deal with _another_ big steaming pile of lies that had materialized in his lovelife. “Has _everyone_ I know been lying to me about _everything_?”

“Don’t be such a drama queen,” Reno said at last, leaning back in his chair and playing with the rim of his cup. “If you’d asked me what division I was in, I would’ve told you, but you didn’t so I figured you didn’t really care. What stick’s up your ass?”

“Does Mom know?” Axel asked, wondering how many people were in on it, but Reno shrugged again, although this one was a little more cagey.

“Probably not. Figured she’d be happier thinking I was ‘playing soldier’ as you put it, since everyone knows AVALANCHE died when Seph kicked the bucket,” Reno replied. “And if she finds out from _you,_ well… she’ll be pissed at us both, so best not mention it, yeah?”

“I don’t get it, though,” Axel said, mind reeling from all the damn revelations of the day. “If Ven is one of your charges, he’s a little exposed sitting in the hospital, isn’t he?”

“I’m not saying that I have anything to do with his case, or that there even _is_ a case for him,” said Reno, popping off the cap of his cup to look in at the foam. “But First Aid 101 is knowing when it’s too dangerous to move someone who’s critically injured-- despite the risks, sometimes hiding is best done in the public eye.”

“And you just moved the other two to a secure location, to bide time until… what? The bad guys strike again?”

“You watch too much television,” Reno laughed, shoving the lid into the cup and then twisting in his chair to make the shot. It bounced off the rim and into the trashcan, and Selphie cheered from behind the counter, doing a sort of victory dance before going back to helping her customer.

Reno stood, clearly done with the conversation, but Axel reached out and grabbed his wrist before he could get too far.

“What about his family?” he asked. He was pissed off at Roxas, yeah, but that didn’t mean he wanted him to get hurt, especially now that he knew the younger Lux had taken up his older brother’s crusade. And Xion probably didn’t have anything to do with it-- her only attachment to everything was the USB stick that’d been confiscated on the way over here.

“They probably watch too much television too,” Reno said, pulling his arm out of Axel’s grip and digging out his phone to check for messages, apparently done with the conversation.

“I’m serious, you ass,” said Axel, keeping his voice low since Selphie was still watching them from behind the counter. She probably wouldn’t kick him out since he was a regular, but she _might_ make his next drink decaf, which would suck. Reno put his phone away with a sigh.

“Look, they're not involved, right?” he said, shrugging off Axel’s concerns. “The girl is out on a boat half the time, and the kid checks in with his brother at least once a day, so we've got peripheral eyes on him, just in case. We'll know if he goes missing within 48 hours-- if you don't report him missing sooner.”

Axel ignored that added bit, knowing Reno was trying to get a rise off him and divert his irritation down a different path. “What if that's too late?”

“It's a good thing that he's joining the squad then, isn't it? Xemnas gets pissy if you don't show up on time.”  Reno gathered his coat and slung it over his shoulder, giving Axel a brief wave goodbye. “Thanks for the Latte.”

“Eat a dick,” Axel muttered, although it was more out of habit than thought, and it had no bite behind it. Reno laughed anyway.

“That’s _your_ department, brother mine. Ciao.”

\-----

Roxas had been trying to get in touch.

There were ten missed calls when Axel finally bothered to check. Then there were the text messages, incessant little chimes that kept going off as Roxas pinged him for a response, knowing that he could wear out Axel’s reserves just by sheer, incessant nagging. Once Axel answered the phone, he’d be forced to listen, and could probably be convinced to meet and hear Roxas out-- eventually. If there was one thing he’d learned over the past couple of months, it was that Roxas was good at two things: thoroughly analyzing a situation to render the best outcome (for himself), and waiting.

Axel knew it, too, so he stopped answering the phone, put it on mute and ignored the insistent vibrations as call after call went to voicemail. He couldn’t quite bring himself to block the number, and he sure as hell wasn’t going to listen to the messages-- not now, anyway. He tagged them as read, and left them to sit unattended.

He knew Roxas would probably keep at it, if nothing else just to try to annoy him into answering the phone and talking again, not that that would magically fix anything. So he muted their conversations, and focused on working on art instead.

True to their name, the fairy godmothers had swooped in at just the right time with another Public Works project, so he threw himself into that with reckless abandon. Of course, they’d asked him to work with Rose since this was _her_ pet project, too, which was all kinds of awkward because the fairy godmothers never knew the full scope of things between the two of them and apparently _she_ wasn’t willing to go into it either, so what started out as a godsend to help him escape his _current_ \-- or at least, most recent-- relationship issues ended up being a series of weird and overly polite and stilted conversations with a _previous_ sort-of relationship.

It wasn’t _all_ that bad-- they’d pretty much been best friends in his college days, before she’d emotionally fucked him over. They fell into a tentative pattern, working around each other and only interacting when necessary. They only talked about work, avoided each other when possible. When they did interact, they were courteous to each other. When the fairy godmothers were around, they put up a facade of goodwill and friendship.

And there were a couple of times that he’d almost forgotten why they’d fallen out in the first place-- she was a bitch, yeah, but she was a funny, sarcastic bitch, and when her biting tongue wasn’t directed at him he could almost forgive and forget the way she’d hurt him. It’d been a long time after all, and for better or worse, they’d both grown up. She seemed to notice the difference, too, and while they didn’t outright say anything, they stopped looking for opportunities to snipe at one another.

Time passed. Things got easier, hurt a little less.

Almost a week had passed before he realized the messages had stopped.

Axel wasn’t sure if that was worse.

_____

He probably shouldn’t have accepted the invitation out, but it’d been ages since he’d seen Saix, and he wasn’t up to figuring out an excuse to bail, so despite the fact that he’d planned on having an evening to himself angsting about the smouldering pile of shit that was his life, Axel forced himself to head to the bar.

He found Saix drinking over a stack of reports, apparently ready to murder whoever had dared to misplace a comma or something in one of his spreadsheets, but Saix’s expression shifted to one of concern when he spotted Axel. He insisted that first round was on him. He got the next one, too, and the next, as Axel laid out what he could share of his sad, pathetic love life and his last relationship’s abrupt and painful end.

Axel scowled into his drink, peeling the label away from the glass in small, shredded strips. Saix waited, he was good at that, never offering suggestions of what he should’ve done, things he _should_ do next. Just a quiet ear, ready to listen, and just the right number of noncommittal grunts to indicate that he was still following along as Axel bitched.

Saix didn’t have to wait long. Axel quickly grew bored with the meticulous shredding of label paper, and picked up his drink.

“I can’t believe he _lied_ to me,” he said, taking a deep drink from his bottle. “At the very start, I said no secrets, and he fucking lied to my face and said there wasn’t anything he wanted to tell me. No _shit_ he didn’t want to tell me, he knew I’d be pissed.”

“What’d he lie about?” asked Saix, and Axel could hear the blend of ‘I told you so’ mixed with apathetic disinterest. He paused, shrugged, and hunched over his drink.

“Just… a lot of little shit, you know? Like, where he was going, what he was doing, who he was seeing… It all added up.” Axel sighed, staring at his bottle, and Saix raised an eyebrow.

“He was cheating on you? I thought you said he’d never dated before.”

“No, it’s not… it wasn’t like that,” Axel said. “He just, I dunno, he’d just leave out enough information that it wasn’t _lying_ , per se, but it wasn’t telling the whole truth, and I told him at the start of things I didn’t want to keep secrets. Shit like that destroys you from the inside.”

“Hmm.” Saix gave a noncommittal noise. Axel had been friends with Saix long enough to know what the man _wasn’t_ saying: ‘You always wind up in bad relationships, this one was clearly no different, I told you the Luxes were bad business, you need to get your shit together.’

Axel sighed. “I guess I should’ve known something was up, I mean, who the hell keeps two phones?” Axel asked, throwing back his bottle again. Saix stilled, tilting his head to process that thought.

“He has two phones?” he asked, voice calm. Axel let out a long exhale as he slammed the bottle back on the table.

“I mean, if that’s not shady as hell… He had the game installed on it, so I just figured he was testing his shit on different devices. But who the fuck gets old phones like that unless they’re doing something under the radar? And why they hell did I believe him when he said they were just backups? Fuck.”

“Do you know what he used it for?” Saix asked, voice level, still disinterested, but he was still willing to play the sympathetic ear.

“He said it was to talk to his beta tester, but he was meeting her when he told me they’d never met-- I don’t think he was cheating on me, but how the hell can I trust anything he says when he’s going on fucking secret rendezvous when I’m at work?”

“You saw the person he met?”

Axel frowned, glaring at the bottle as he considered his words. “I saw their plans to meet up. I confronted him about it and he didn’t even deny it, just said he didn’t think it was a big deal. I told him secrets are a big fucking deal. I _told_ him that from the start.”

“Mm,” agreed Saix, not really listening. He drummed his fingers on the table, speaking up again after a few minutes of sulking silence. “You’re better off without him.”

Axel scowled, waving at Luxord to bring another round, and went back to peeling the label off his current bottle.

“I guess I _know_ that, but it doesn’t mean I don’t fucking miss him. This was…. I dunno, it just felt _right_ , you know?”

They fell into silence then, each man lost to his own thoughts. Axel barely registered when Saix got up to make a call, and merely grunted his thanks when he returned with beer. Saix clinked his glass against Axel’s, forcing a smile onto his face, even though they could both tell it was a bit of a stretch for him.

“Well…” he said, drawing out the syllables, “here’s to the end of shitty relationships, which you get through because they lead you to the better ones.”

“Til you get fucked over in that one, too,” Axel muttered bitterly into his bottle. Saix sighed.

“I didn’t say it was easy,” he said, patting Axel on the shoulder. “One more round on me.”

\- - -

Drinks with Saix helped. He’d been kind of a jerk, avoiding his friend because of the weird stick-up-his-ass when it came to the Luxes, but it turned out that Saix had been right all along, and he was a decent enough guy to not outwardly say _I told you so._

He could even count his small blessings that Demyx was officially back on hospital duty, and between that and last-minute concert stuff, he was unaware that Axel was suddenly spending every night at their place again, alone, and that the apartment had been purged of Roxas’ stuff.

Well… not completely. He wasn’t enough of a dick to throw out someone’s stuff, even if he was pissed off at him. And they weren’t done yet, not completely. Axel needed to say some things to get some closure, at which point he could dump everything on Roxas and finally be done with it. He’d put everything in a box, and shoved the box into the back of his closet. Out of sight, out of mind, right? Life goes on, suck it up and spend your days making shit to go up on the wall, and spend your afternoons and evenings using needles to drive art into people, go home and drink, fall asleep, wake up and do it all over.

But even as he tried to make some sort of normalcy out of his suddenly-single life, he kept finding things that he knew Roxas would get a kick out of, or see something and suddenly remember that the last time he’d seen it had been with Roxas. He’d wake up in the middle of the night, confused to find the bed cold and empty, before he remembered things, and then he wouldn’t be able to get back to sleep. It _hurt_. Missing someone who was just a phone call, just a text, just a quick ride away, but knowing that seeing them would be worse. He’d fallen in love with a liar, and there was no quick recovery from that, if any.

He couldn’t even eat ice cream anymore, damn it, so he fell back into an old habit from his pre-college-dropout days. Rose surprised him as she left the studio late one night and found him smoking by the door, staring off into space and trying to think of nothing in particular.

“Is this how you’ve managed to stay so thin all these years?” she asked, plucking the cigarette from his fingers and taking a drag. She closed her eyes as she blew out smoke, savoring the nicotine. He took the cigarette back, taking in another breath.

“Not all of us can cope with our shitty lives by taking long, depressive naps,” he shot back, then relented as she took it from him again.

“You used to be the champion of sleeping in, if I remember correctly,” she said, smile on her lips as she reminisced. “I don’t smoke anymore because of the kids, but goodness, sometimes I miss it. Now I just bake brownies instead.”

“Are they spiked?” he asked, genuinely curious, and she laughed, a light and happy titter that made her sound like a teenager again.

“I make them for the kids, so _no_ , they don’t have any edibles, though god knows sometimes I think I should put something in them. They take after their father in all the wrong ways. They’re probably going to grow up as little pricks with inflated egos,” she said, sighing at the thought. Axel snorted, dropping the butt and stamping it out before throwing it out.

“You sure that’s all Phil?” he asked, keeping his voice neutral. It was easier to sound natural when they weren’t talking about his issues-- and she’d always enjoyed talking about herself.

“They can’t tell a Gepetto sculpture from Corona frescos,” she sighed. “But I don’t feel like having any more, so I’ll work with what I’ve got.”

“Uncultured little brats,” he agreed, but he knew that she was fond of them, no matter what she said. Personally, he didn’t see the appeal, but he was glad she’d gotten something good out of that failed relationship. If he and Roxas had been together longer, would they be fighting for custody over a cat? He didn’t think there’d be a fish, that was more Demyx and Xion’s thing, Roxas seemed like a ‘cat’ kind of guy, but then again, he could see Roxas with puppies, something small that would grow into something monstrous and slobbery and ridiculously sweet, and--- shit.  

Rose seemed to catch his mood, pulling her purse strap further up her shoulder and shifting from foot to foot. She looked down the street, back at the door to the studio, then back to him before her gaze darted away again, unable to stay in one place for more than a few minutes.

“I’m feeling restless tonight,” she admitted, leaning against the wall beside him. “The kids are with their dad and I wanted to get some of the painting done for the godmothers, but they’re so doting and sweet, suggesting that I start seeing new people and move on with my life.  I needed to get out of there before they smothered me.”

She shifted to look at him, a cool, appraising look that turned the edges of her lips into a small smile.

“You wanna come home with me and make some brownies?”

He wasn’t proud.

The brownies were pretty good, even if they didn’t have edibles and were just a box mix. The sex was fine, probably would’ve been good if he’d really been into it, but he declined her offer to stay the night and went home to shower it off.

He fell into bed, closing his eyes and trying to ignore the fact that his pillows still smelled like Roxas, even after multiple sheet changes. He should probably burn the damn things, but he didn’t want to admit that having them close helped him sleep at night. That he’d actually considered taking one of the shirts Roxas had left in the apartment and stuffing it in the pillowcase before he remembered that he was trying to stay angry, even if he was so fucking _lonely_ without him.

He fell asleep clutching the pillow to his chest.

\- - -

Namine slugged him in the chin almost a month to the day he’d stopped talking to Roxas.

To be fair, she’d probably been aiming to break his nose, but he had the advantage of fast reflexes, and she was a petite little thing, even if she was fierce. She stood scowling up at him, one hand on her hip and shaking the other, which she’d probably bruised when it connected with his face.

“What the fuck Namine!?” he asked, rubbing at the tender area. He shook his head as Luxord gave him a questioning look, silently telling the man to leave it. He probably deserved it, whatever she was pissed about. Or, more likely, _Roxas_ deserved it but she was his best friend so she took it out on the next best thing, Roxas’ boy-- _ex-_ boyfriend.

“He's trying to make things right and you're standing him up?” she said, shaking off the last of the punch to cross her arms. Olette and Pence sat at the bar, just as surprised as Axel, apparently, but they made no move to stop her. (They’d probably learned that lesson a long time ago.)

“Who's the asshole now?” she asked, and he was genuinely concerned that something might be the matter. She _never_ swore.

“What the fuck are you talking about?” he asked (he was under no such compulsion to watch his words.)

“Roxas is waiting for you and you just ditched him!” she said, stamping her foot for emphasis. “If you didn't plan to show you should have had the decency to tell him you changed your mind. He’s been miserable for weeks and if you brought up his hopes just to crush them, you are the worst person I’ve ever met and I will never speak to you again!”

Axel held up his hands to fend off her fury, more confused than before. “I'm not talking to him right now,” he said, carefully choosing his words. “I haven’t spoken to him since we… since we broke up.”

“Then why does he think you were going to meet him thirty minutes ago?” She asked, apparently not buying it. He frowned, shaking his head.

“Meet him where? I’ve been spending my nights _here_ , and that’s as far as my plans go.”

“At the Struggle Arena, he said you agreed to at least sit down and talk….” she said, trailing off as uncertainty kicked in. He pulled out his phone and held it out, showing her the last text he’d gotten from Roxas, well over a week ago.

“I haven't answered any of his texts since… shit,” he said, mind racing. Her face paled, and he had a feeling they were both starting to think along the same lines-- for all his tech savvy ways, Roxas had a tendency to blindly trust digital communication. If someone had spoofed his number, got Roxas to think he’d finally forgiven him enough to meet for a chat….

He reached over and grabbed a napkin from the bar, then barked for a pen from Luxord, who handed it over with interest, but no interruption. Axel quickly wrote down a number and handed it to her, slipping his phone back in his pocket.

“Look, this is my brothers number, call him and tell him what you told me and tell him this is me reporting in, he'll understand. Dem is home, head over there and I'll bring Roxas over and we can all just…. Get all of this shit out in the open like we should’ve _weeks_ ago.”

He dug his wallet out and slapped a 20 munny note on the bar, not caring that he’d overpaid for a drink he hadn’t had a chance to drink. Luxord raised a perfectly arched eyebrow, but said nothing about the exorbitant tip.

Namine had pulled out her phone and was already heading out the exit, leaving a confused Olette and Pence at the bar. Axel headed out as well, returning Namine’s wave with a short nod before jogging over to his bike and ramming his helmet on his head. As he revved the engine and flew down the road, he was mentally kicking himself again for being so damned stupidly in love with an asshole who was nothing but trouble.

Damn the Luxes. And damn him for caring.


	16. ...And Mine

Axel was angry.

Roxas had known he would be, of course, so the reaction wasn’t completely unexpected. He watched as his boyfriend--...ex-boyfriend?-- picked up his helmet from the motorcycle seat and rammed it onto his head. He swung one leg over, revved up the engine, then paused. He didn’t look at either of Roxas or Aqua as he spoke.

“If you want to help your brother, you’d drop this and focus on helping him get better. Think about the people who care about you instead of yourself for a change.”

Although it was a relatively warm day, Roxas felt the temperature drop, felt his heart stutter a bit at the icy rage that laced those words. Even if he’d been able to come up with some sort of reply, Axel wouldn’t have heard it over the roar of the engine as he peeled away from the curb and sped off, presumably for his place.

Roxas stared after him, trying to swallow down the lump in his throat. He hadn’t really _expected_ it would go any other way, but at the same time, he’d hoped he’d have enough time to come up with some scenario that involved telling Axel but also managing to mitigate some of the damage.

Maybe after everything was done and the bad guys had been caught? Or, at the very least, when he had _some_ sort of evidence that he could show Axel to prove that he hadn’t been lying by choice, but rather by necessity. As it was, he couldn’t even show Axel his damn contract for the work he’d signed on for, given it’s highly classified nature and the whole on-going investigation issue.

He felt Aqua’s hand come down gently on his shoulder.

“He’s right,” she said, and when he glanced up at her, she gave him a sort of sad smile. “You’re not your brother. I know you’re not a soldier, you were never trained to do any of this. But for better or worse, Ven got you involved, and I know he wouldn’t have done that unless he knew you could take care of yourself. I can’t promise that I’ll be able to keep you safe,” she admitted, “But I can promise that we will do everything in my power to protect you.”

Roxas didn’t respond immediately. He was still watching the road, watching the park’s foot traffic return to normal after the brief fight and Axel’s dramatic exit. He didn’t blame Axel, knew it would probably come to this, had known it from the start, but… he still hadn’t expected it quite this soon. It was probably good that he was still in shock, since he could hardly tell Aqua that he was up to the assignment if he had a breakdown in the middle of a busy campus park. Her hand on his shoulder was a warm anchor that kept him grounded, kept him focused on what lay ahead.

“I have to keep going,” Roxas said at last. He met Aqua’s gaze. “I’ll do whatever it takes. Besides, he’s right. The people I care about are involved, which means they’re at risk. It’s too late to back out now.”

“Do you want to go after him?” she asked, but he shook his head.

“He won’t talk to me. He told me from the beginning that-- I promised him that he could trust me, so he’s got every right to be angry. I just… I’m just gonna go home,” he said at last, and pulled his sweatshirt closer around himself. Aqua watched him, not moving her hand.

“Are you sure you’re going to be alright? Should you really be alone right now? Is there anyone you can call, Namine, maybe?” she asked at last, glancing up as a group of students passed on a nearby sidewalk. She needed to get going. Roxas knew that she was risking a lot by meeting him, that she’d have preferred a dead drop if TRON wasn’t so important. He reached up and patted her hand, then extracted himself from her hold.

“It’s gonna suck for… I dunno, I’ve never been dumped before, but I think having something to do will help.” He gave her what he hoped was an encouraging smile, but her frown indicated that he was less than successful. He shrugged, pulling his hoodie up over his head. “I’ll talk to Namine, too, I promise. But let me know when you’re ready to move and I’ll be there.”

She reached down and hugged him, firm but gentle, then gave him a peck on the forehead before stepping away.

“I’ll be in touch soon,” she said, paused, then finished, “...take care of yourself, Roxas.”

He waved goodbye, planning to follow suite a few minutes later, but she’d been gone a long time before he finally left the park. He stumbled into the apartment some time later, falling into the chair and just sort of staring up at the ceiling for a while. He couldn’t quite remember how he’d _gotten_ there, to be honest, but it didn’t really matter in the long run. He should also probably eat or something, but the thought of getting up and walking into the kitchen, then finding and reheating leftovers was….too much.

He reached for his phone, then dropped it in his lap. What was the point? Axel wasn’t going to forgive him for this. He was pissed--reasonably so-- but more than that, he was _scared_ . And Roxas didn’t have anything to do or say that would help make it better. He sighed, scrubbing his palms across his face and sliding his fingers into his hair, no doubt messing up his artfully arranged spikes. Why did _that_ matter, anyway? It wasn’t like he had anyone he needed to look good for now.

He’d been in a good place. For a while, things had started to look up, and it seemed like everything was gonna be ok. But now he was sliding back into a familiar dark place with no handholds to catch himself, and even if he managed to scramble out of that hole again, what did it matter?

He thought about that for a long while, chewing on the thought _why did it matter_ , over and over again. He’d blown his best shot at happiness, the guy he loved hated him, he’d accidentally exposed the fact that he was working with the prime suspect in an ongoing investigation, and he had an interview with a creepy guy who quite possibly was planning to see how he could use the younger Lux to get to his older brother, and in doing so, would get to.... _What_ exactly, he didn’t know, but it probably wasn’t good.

His stomach rumbled. He rolled his head to the side and realized that he’d angsted the afternoon away thinking about how much his life sucked, and now he was sitting in the dark, and despite the fact that everything good in his life was over and there was no point in anything, his stupid body insisted that he keep going.

He could _ignore_ it, of course, but now that he realized it was dark it was kinda annoying not being able to see, and if he was gonna get up to turn on the lights, he may as well heat up some food or something, too.

He stumbled out of the chair and headed over to the switch, stomach somehow complaining _more_ now that he was up, and when he finally found the light and flipped it, he stood blinking in the now too-bright space, taking in the scene. There were…. _socks_. And maybe a shirt-- not his-- on the floor, stuff left over from last night, and they hadn’t bothered cleaning up because they didn’t _need_ to, they’d been planning to do more stuff tonight and--

Best not to think on that.

He turned on his foot and stalked toward the kitchen. Food would be a good distraction for now, right?

Except there was nothing in the fridge.

There was nothing in the fridge because he and Axel had planned to go grocery shopping to get stuff, because he was going to cook a nice dinner for---

Shit.

**SHIT.**

He’d forgotten about Xion.

He stood there, staring in his empty fridge, contemplating the time and wondering if he even had _time_ to make the… whatever the hell the thing was that he was going to make. Probably not, he vaguely remembered the dish taking hours at class, and it was actually dinner time now, which meant Xion would be… well…

He frowned down at his phone, but there weren’t any text messages on it. She probably should’ve been here already, since they’d sorta planned to hang out the rest of the day, but she’d been quiet. Had she forgotten? Or maybe there were plans that had run over?

That was… ok. It was ok, it meant he had time to straighten up and pull himself together and figure out what they were gonna do for food. Maybe he could just get fancy takeout and give her an IOU for the home-cooked meal, to be claimed at a later date when he wasn’t just holding everything together by a thread.

...She'd probably ask about Axel. As long as she wasn't still hanging out with Demyx at their apartment, she probably wouldn't run into him, so he could say that Axel had to do something for his show.

Shit, the show. Roxas looked towards the closet where he'd hidden the surprise gift he'd gotten for Axel. The show was in two weeks… and as much as he'd like to believe that they could talk things through, he didn't think they could resolve things that quickly.

He pulled out his phone and tried calling anyway, but it went straight to voicemail. He left a “please call me” message and hung up. Not much more he could do, and he was pressing his luck with that.

He stared at his phone, then pulled up Xion’s number and gave her a call.

“Where are you?” he asked when she answered, and he could hear her move the phone to say something to someone nearby, but couldn’t quite make out the words.

“Sorry! I ran into Demyx and I ended up catching a ride with him to the hospital, and Dr. Gainsborough was in so the three of us have been catching up and I guess time just sort of slipped by, sorry. I hope you guys weren’t waiting for me, have you guys already eaten?”

“No, we, ah… no,” he said, grateful that she wasn’t in a place where she’d run into Axel anytime soon, and glad that Demyx had been on the way out so he wouldn’t learn about it and say anything. Not that he didn’t plan on telling anyone, he just… could only deal with so much at a time, and if Xion knew that would mean that Namine and the rest of the gang would know, and if they knew, Demyx would know (well, sooner, anyway), and if Demyx knew, then _Ven_ would know and… he never actually got around to formally telling Ven that he and Axel were a thing, so _that_ would be one of the most awkward conversations he’d ever have to deal with.

“Axel had to go do a thing for his show,” he lied, no longer alarmed at how easily it rolled off the tongue. “So I’ll come meet you at the hospital, pop in to say hi to Ven, and then the two of us can go grab something, ok?”

“Oh! Ok, that works,” she said, believing him because why would he lie about something stupid like where Axel was? “Will he be coming back to the apartment tonight? I can make myself scarce if you need me to.”

“We don’t spend _every_ night together,” he said, pausing a minute to let the lurch in his heart settle down before he continued. He forced a smile into his voice, despite the fact that all he wanted to do was curl in on himself and cry. “Anyway, I just had a better idea-- why don’t I get something for the three of us and we can have a family meal?”

\- - -

Roxas had always been a champion when it came to sleeping, but depression napping took his skills to a whole new level.

With Xion safely packed off on a plane (and no more the wiser to his new relationship status), and no classes to attend, he was stuck in that awful lull between resume submission and follow-up emails. Aqua hadn’t called. Normally he’d spend the blissful free time training with Cloud or devising new ways to harangue Leonhart, or, if he was feeling particularly mean-spirited, he’d head down to the Struggle arena to take things out on Seifer-- who, in his defense, literally asked for it every time he saw Roxas sparring with someone else. Or, up until a couple of days ago, he’d spend that time with Axel.

But Axel wasn’t an option anymore-- his calls and texts were getting ignored, or, more likely, flat out deleted-- and he just wasn’t feeling up to dealing with anyone else. He hadn’t even visited Ven since Sunday evening’s impromptu takeout dinner, and while he felt guilty about that, the apathy he was wallowing in helped negate most of his feelings in general. And feeling emotionally numb made it easy to sort of blank out his thoughts, which, in turn, led to power napping.

He’d been laying on the couch and staring at the ceiling for an undetermined amount of time, drifting in and out of sleep when his phone began to go off. He _could_ ignore it, of course, but there was always the possibility that it might be an emergency, and as much as he didn’t feel up to caring about stuff, he wasn’t going to risk the possibility of someone being in trouble and being unable to reach him.

He fumbled for the phone and woke up the screen, wincing a little as a rapid succession of missed call notifications and increasingly angry texts from Namine flooded his screen.

  * _**xx18 11:08 am** **:** Roxas what the hell is going on? Axel just burst into the room, yelled at Ven that if you died it was Ven's fault, then he stormed out and yelled at the guards on the way. What happened???_
  * _**xx18 11:10 am** **:** Roxas?_
  * _**xx18 11:28 am** **:** I swear to God do NOT go dark on me_
  * _**xx18 11:29 am** **:** PICK UP YOUR PHONE LUX _



He groaned and dropped the phone on his chest, his worst fear turned true. He _could_ just ignore the texts, of course, but Namine had a key to his place and wasn’t afraid to use it, even after the time she walked in on him and Axel in the middle of, um, _things_. If he didn’t respond, she’d come to him, and getting shouted at via texts was easier than getting yelled at face to face.

  * **_xx13 11:32 am_ ** **:** We had a fight



His phone rang almost as soon as he put it down-- apparently she wasn’t going to let him sulk in peace, but he’d be damned if he was going to talk right now. He refused the call, and got another text a moment later.

  * _**xx18 11:34 am** **:** FIne, we’ll od it this way.I figured as much muchh. About what?_
  * _**xx18 11:36 am** **:** Roxas? Are you ok?_



He’d have thought the answer to that question would be obvious, but he couldn’t get angry at her, she didn’t have anything to do with it. He sighed, typing out a short reply.

  *   ** _xx13 11:42 am_ ** **:** My shitty communication skills. And peachy 
  * **_xx18 11:43 am_ ** **:** _That would be hilariously ironic in any other situation. Do you want to talk about it, practice those skills?_
  * **_xx13 11:45 am_ ** **:** Not really? I just wanna be alone for a while. Gonna go for another run
  * **_xx18 11:45 am_ ** **:** _When will you be home? I'll meet you_
  * **_xx13 11:47 am_ ** **:** Don't, I just… need some space to clear my head
  * **_xx18 11:50 am_ ** **:** _I can’t get there til later tonight, but I expect you to check in_
  * **_xx13 12:0 pm_ ** **:** Yes mom



He chucked the phone on the table and just sort of slumped down again, because he really had no intention of running, the thought of getting off the couch to go to the bathroom, let alone run a couple of miles, was way too tiring to even contemplate. He opted for zoning out instead, staring out into the room and just sort of letting his mind drift by _not_ thinking about...well, anything, really.

He’d been so busy trying _not_ to think that it took him a couple of minutes to realize that he’d been staring at the familiar picture that sat on the shelf-- Ven’s favorite picture, the one of the three of them at graduation day, the one he’d set as his desktop photo on his computers, apparently, even though he hadn’t really been speaking to either Roxas or Xion by the time he’d gone off on his fateful errand.

Roxas stared at it, squinting, wondering why _that_ picture, when there was the one of the whole family-- one with Mom and Dad, taken a few months before their deaths-- or pictures with friends or the extended family with Sora and everyone else. And on one desktop, sure, sentimentality and all that, but two? Three computers? Why did TRON have a copy of the thing?

It was weird that the only really had one picture of the three of them together, and even then, it had been an accident, Sora messing around with the camera and snapping a candid photo that miraculously came out clear and with all of them paying attention. Ven had gotten all of them copies, even Sora, and it was one of the first things they unpacked when they’d moved here.

Ven had pointed it out to him, sitting where Roxas sat now, only two years earlier. “When you guys finish your school and graduate, we’re gonna celebrate,” he’d promised. “We can go to Walt World or something, just the three of us, and hit up all the rides and eat terrible food and just focus on nothing but fun for a whole _week_.”

Roxas had laughed, throwing a pillow at his brother before going back to fighting with the router. “You think you can afford sending the three of us for a week? You must be making mint, or already planning on a big promotion.”

“We’ve got a couple of years, and I make enough we can put some aside for fun,” Ven had said, then pulled up his laptop to show Roxas a folder full of images and documents. “I’m making a list of all the cool places we can go, we’ll make some more memories for the book.”

They never made it to Walt World or any of those other vacation spots.

Of course, neither Roxas nor Xion had actually graduated yet, but Ven had been true to his word about the money part. He’d said as much in his weird letter from the shipment box, and he’d even saved a copy of the letter on the hidden hard drive. TRON had pointed it out to him, but he hadn’t wanted to do much digging while Axel and Xion were around, and with them both gone, well… he hadn’t really felt up to looking into it further.

...Did Axel miss him too?

Everything kept going back to Axel, damn it, and while he _knew_ that was pathetic, he also knew that over the past couple of months, they’d been spending more and more time together, to the point where it was hard to remember what he’d done before he caught Axel snooping in on Ven. Mostly schoolwork, some time out with friends, but mostly… he was alone.

Even if Axel did miss him, he had Demyx to keep him company, and wouldn’t _that_ be an awkward meeting again when he went to visit Ven and inevitably ran into his ex’s roommate? And besides, Axel was probably in his bedroom with one of his canvases set up, painting away his feelings with loud music and cheap takeout and god knew what else. Once he got into the flow of painting, he’d probably be able to forget about Roxas and everything else. And he was probably happier now that he wasn’t wasting all his time with Roxas, since now he’d have more time to paint. He’d get to hang out with Rose, and even though Axel complained about her, he could tell there were still feelings between the two of them.

Maybe Roxas could get a pet or something. If Demyx could handle Bubbles and Sucky, _he_ could handle a fish or two, too. But he’d rather eat a fish than deal with taking care of it, and you couldn’t cuddle a fish, which was really what it came down to. Pluto and Goofy were cool, of course, but they were so _bouncy_ and kind of exhausting… sort of like Sora, now that he thought about it. A cat might be nice, but he wasn’t actually sure that the building allowed for pets-- Ven owned the condo outright, but cities were weird with permits and stuff.

And there was the fact that Ven might not appreciate him getting a pet while he was otherwise away. He could _ask_ Ven, of course, and Ven probably wouldn’t say no, but if he admitted _why_ he wanted a pet out of the blue, he wasn’t sure how “I’m not used to sleeping alone anymore” would fly. Probably better than “I miss cuddling.”

Roxas groaned and rolled over, burying his face in the cushions. He didn’t _want_ a cat, he wanted Axel. But moping was getting him nowhere except more depressed, and since he didn’t have anything else to distract himself from the here and now, he’d handle it in the way he’d be handling everything: he closed his eyes, and laid there until he fell asleep.

\- - -

Time passed.

One of the biggest regrets he’d experienced recently (starting, of course, with the loss of Axel and spiraling down from there), was that it was so ingrained in his mind to pick up the phone when Namine called-- especially when he was half asleep-- that in failing to turn off the ringtone, she kept waking him up. It was hard to keep power napping through his depression when the phone rang.

He made noises into the phone which she correctly interpreted as “Hello?”

“I’m coming over tonight because I know you haven’t moved off the couch since yesterday, even though you _promised_ me you would. Have you showered? Eaten? Done laundry?”

He groaned a little louder, voicing his complaint at the nagging questions. “No, yes, and I’ll do it later.”

“I’m worried about you, Roxas,” she said, voice softening. “When was the last time you saw Ven? He’s been asking about you.”

“He doesn’t need to see me like this,” replied Roxas, taking in his ragged boxer shorts and _Heartless_ t-shirt that he’d stolen from Axel-- who’d actually probably stolen it from Demyx. He tried envisioning a meeting with his brother, dressed like that, but he didn’t think the guards would let him through the doors. And he _was_ smelling a little ripe. Hadn’t shaved, either, and his face felt itchy and stale.

And Namine, bless her, didn’t even miss a beat, although he could hear the teacher mode coming out in her voice. “Ok, well, I’m pretty sure he’d be happy to see you regardless, but I’ll come over and help you get things straightened up, and then we’ll go visit him together, ok? You said you’d eaten?”

“I ordered pizza.”

“What? Why? Roxas, that was stupid!”

“I already regret life, now I can die in cheesy bliss. Leave me to my fate,” he said, burying his face under the blanket again. “Talk to Xi about this place, she'll probably let you rent it at a good price. I’ll try to remember to put the seat down for you before I die.”

“Oh my god, Roxas, stop being such a drama queen,” Namine said, and he could hear a hint of laughter in her voice, despite the incredibly stupid thing he’d done. He could hear her jostling something on the other end-- she was probably getting out of class or something. “I left you pills in your kitchen cabinet by the sink, take some of those and drink some water and for god’s sake don’t eat anymore damn pizza. I don’t want to hear you whining about how much your stomach hurts when I get there, and eating more will only make it worse.”

“Ha!” he gave a spiteful laugh. “There isn’t any left, I ate it all.”

“Oh my god, you _idiot_.” She was definitely laughing at his expense, and he’d be offended if he didn’t know he deserved it. She sighed, continuing in her stern ‘why do I put up with you’ voice. “Take double pills. And stop making stupid life decisions, I'll be over in an hour or so, ok?”

She hung up, leaving Roxas to peer out of his blanket cocoon to evaluate the state of his living room. The place wasn’t _that_ bad, a little stale maybe, and there were definitely a lot of empty soda bottles, unwashed mugs and plates, and, of course, the pizza boxes. But he hadn’t actually changed in… he wasn’t sure. It had been a day or two. Anyway, he hadn’t changed, so he didn’t have to worry about dirty underwear on the floor or anything like that.

...But if Namine saw how quickly he’d fallen apart over a stupid fight and breakup, she’d probably pry for more answers, and might even tell him she wanted him to go talk to someone, and _that_ wasn’t happening because his paranoia had been what helped him get this far, thank you, and besides, it wasn’t like he could actually _tell_ anyone anything because of the legal implications, so….

He groaned, stood, and walked over to the window to clear out the air. He probably had an hour or two before she showed up. He could pick up and clean before she got there, might even be able to make something with… wait, no, he hadn’t gone grocery shopping, there still wasn’t anything except cup noodles and beer from Hayner. They’d have to go get stuff at the store before he could make something, which meant he needed to shower, which meant he’d probably need to go to his room to find clean clothes or something that he could stick in there in case Namine showed up before he was ready.

At the thought of food, his intestines gurgled, reminding him of his poor life choices. He rummaged through the kitchen cabinet, found the box Namine had left for him, then made a beeline to the bathroom. Time to start facing some of the consequences of languishing away a week in angst and cheese.

\- - -

Three weeks, five days, eight hours, and counting. That’s how long it had been.

On the one hand, it felt like it had happened forever ago, each day a long and lonely and terrible thing that bled into the next, with little to differentiate one from the next. At the same time, not having anything to mark his calendar made it easy for days to slip by without him realizing how much time it had been. Power napping played a key part of that, but there was also the fact that nothing was going on, so he could sort of just… make his way listlessly through each day without having to think about it.

He _had_ done stuff-- Namine had dragged him out a couple of times, and he’d managed to see Ven without going into the whole “I was sleeping with your old best friend from high school and then he dumped me when he found out I’ve been working on a high risk case that YOU dumped in my lap, so thanks for that” thing. Xion had called to yell at him for being an idiot, and he’d even gotten a ‘hang in their buddy’ from Demyx, which was nice, even if the misspelling had him deleting the text without responding.

He managed to get through the week by reminding himself of chores and tasks that had to be completed at certain times. Meeting with Cloud, meeting with Squall, visiting Ven. Namine knew him well enough to tell him when she was coming so he could mentally prepare for a visit, and he felt better after seeing her, but… the nights still stretched on forever. He still hadn’t been able to bring himself to sleep in the bed, so more often than not he’d just crash on the couch, which meant he spent a lot of long hours just staring at the photo of the three of them, all happy and smiling back, not a care in the world.

He spent hours just staring at it, trying to figure out why it kept bugging him-- was it important, or was he just so focused on not thinking about how much he missed Axel that he was seizing on anything he could find to distract himself? And why did Ven have it in so many different places?

He could boot the computer and ask TRON about it, of course, if his permissions allowed. If nothing else the AI might have insight into what Ven had been doing, if he’d actually gotten around to coming up with a plan of action, gathered any more files or documents since Roxas had seen the folder all those months ago. And hadn’t Pete mentioned something about a vacation spots folder on Ven’s work computer? He vaguely remembered hearing something about it, mostly because he’d been amused to realize its presence meant that Ven was looking up amusement park stuff while he was on the clock, or maybe he’d found stuff while digging through the carnage that was the Sephiroth Incident and tagged it as a cool tourist spot for later adventures.

Of course, that wouldn’t explain why he had a folder for Mom and Dad, too-- it wasn’t like _they’d_ be able to come on any trips with them. And some of the places that Ven had included in their folder weren’t even around anymore, they were places that had either gone out of business after the Sephiroth Incident, or shut down and relocated as their original lots were purchased by the city as part of the Radiant Gardens initiative.

The snapshot of the fancy restaurant where their parents had been killed, for example, was now part of the Shinra Memorial Park, and there was a bench somewhere that had their parents’ names, although none of the Lux children had gone to see it. And the Sunset Overlook Park-- now Sunset Terrace, Governor Xehanort’s pride and joy-- was more high-end shops than park, another step towards ‘progress’ in the town.

And then there was the random photo of a train station, maybe somewhere Ven had gone with their parents a long time ago? It wasn’t even identified, it was just a snapshot of a platform with a few random passengers, supposedly waiting for a train, milling around posters that touted a MAKO energy drink -- “Energy for the Planet, Energy for You!” _That_ was surreal, it had been ages since those glowing bottles had been available, a complete PR nightmare given the fact that they’d later been deemed poisonous, after the whole attack and consequent investigations, and--

He froze, his brain trying to figure out why that was such a big deal. He could _feel_ the synapses trying to reconnect, and imagined his brain trying to reboot from sleep after hours of idle moping.

His laptop slept on the coffee table, so he just reached over to wake it up, entering his password one-handed as he pulled up the image Aqua had sent him on his phone months ago. The screenshot of Ven’s work computer was different than the photo sitting on their bookshelf. In the printed version, the camera focused on the trio, but you couldn’t really see what was in the background, since things were out of focus and artistically blurred as the trio’s image was enhanced and airbrushed.

But Ven had the _original_ , untouched footage as his desktop, which included all of the street signs, logos, and storefronts in the town square. The phone’s photo quality wasn’t all that good, but then, the Shinra company’s logo was bold enough that he could recognize it anywhere, especially when paired with the blazing green meteor symbol, indicating MAKO energy use.

It made sense, of course, Ven had been called in to help deal with the massive fallout from the raid on Sephiroth’s rogue faction, but Roxas hadn’t realized how _much_ of the city actually relied on the power grid supplied by Shinra. The vacation spots Ven had chosen were all tied up in the company, even the places he’d pegged for their parents.

There was one last thing he had to check, one niggling suspicion that had his fingers flying through password-protected folders and digging into the files Aqua had first sent him after Ven’s attack. He found the footage, pressed play, then watched the trucks pulling into the warehouse that would explode only hours later. Sure enough, he could just make out the familiar green letters that spelled “MAKO MAKES THE PLANET A GREENER PLACE” stamped on one of the boxes inside the warehouse. He had no doubt whatever had been brought in on that truck came from Shinra, too-- or… maybe there were still members of the rogue faction in operation? Is _that_ what Ven had uncovered?

Roxas went over to the bookcase and pulled down the photo to bring it back to the table. Then, he grabbed the drive and popped TRON back into the spare setup, letting the AI boot before asking him to go to the desktop. There, Roxas pulled up the directory and typed “SHINRA” in the query field. TRON gave him a friendly wave, then idled in thoughtful animation as the search box began to fill with the photos from the vacation folder, then other, random things, like… spreadsheets. Copies of invoices. More random scans of newspaper articles.

He frowned, then clicked on one of the spreadsheets, bringing up the info on the file. Ven had apparently downloaded it from an official website, something from the transportation branch, stuff that was probably on public record but _why_ would you want to read spreadsheets? Unless it’d been tagged as stuff he was supposed to investigate as part of his job-- maybe AVALANCHE had used the train for supply drops?

The screen filled with numbers; organized, yes, but Roxas had no idea what he was looking at, or why Ven would be interested in the contact list of contractors hired to work on renovating the subway system. It didn’t look like there was anything remarkable about it, but then again, he’d never had to deal with data crunching of this level, and the only person he knew with this sort of mid-managerial experience was Axel’s friend Saix, whom he couldn’t visit for obvious reasons.

TRON popped up a moment later, giving Roxas a friendly wave to catch his attention.

“Would you like to view the linked files and attachments for this document?” he asked, grinning as though he already knew that Roxas _definitely_ wanted to look at more spreadsheets and number stuff. Roxas wiped more sleep from his eyes, trying to steel himself for several hours of staring at long lines of spreadsheets and random documents. It wouldn’t be _that_ different than reading for bugs and coding errors, right? _Ha._

“Sure, go ahead,” he said, getting up and heading into the kitchen. If he was gonna spend the night comparing data and compiling notes, he needed coffee.

He heard the plaintive chime of an error message a few minutes later, and came back to a rueful TRON, shaking his head and holding what looked like a broken wire.

“Unable to retrieve files at this time,” the AI explained. “A connection is required to access these files.”

“Ok…” replied Roxas, thinking that through. His Internet connection was fine, but Ven had mostly likely built TRON at work, while he was connected to the Academy’s Intranet, which meant that the files were probably stashed on a server somewhere. That wasn’t an insurmountable issue, although it increased his risk factor a bit, especially since Ven would have put them behind stronger firewalls than Roxas had circumvented in the past. Hacking into the police server wasn’t going to be like logging into Leonhart’s account and giving himself straight A’s for the semester.

“Ok,” he repeated, thinking ahead to what he might be able to do, should he find a secure connection. “Ok, two questions. First, does my profile allow access to those files? Or are you going to connect, find the files, and then tell me I’m shit outta luck?”

TRON went into contemplative idle mode for a moment before giving him a thumbs up.

“User permission levels grant access to these files. A password may be required.”

“Ok, that’s something we can work with,” said Roxas, letting out his breath. “Second question-- can you show me the file path that you’re attempting to retrieve?”

TRON gave him the thumbs up animation again, then held up a box that showed the file path. It was surprisingly short, but there were two folder names that struck him as significant: The first was “Stardust Station”, the random train station from the picture in Ven’s collection. The second, more compelling folder was “Kingdom Hearts.”

He swore, pulled up Aqua’s number and called, waiting just long enough to confirm she was the one to pick up and then he barreled ahead with his discovery. “I need to talk to you, I think I found what I was looking for, when can we meet?”

There was silence on the other end of the phone, but he knew she was there, probably debating how sure he was, and what he could’ve figured out at….crap. It was late, nearing ten, but he’d been so sure that she’d want to hear this that he probably would’ve called anyway, even if he had known the time. This was _big_.

“I’ve just been going through some of his personal stuff and there’ve been some weird things in the--”

“Don’t say anything else,” she interrupted, speaking at last. “Where are you?”

“What? I’m at home, I’ve just been--”

“We need to get a look, but use caution when you talk about things. We’re close, Roxas. I just need you to hang on a little longer, ok?”

“Yeah, but--”

“I know it’s hard, Roxas,” her voice was gentle, sympathetic. “You have to believe me when I say we are doing everything we can. But it’s dangerous, too. I need to keep you safe, or Ven would never forgive me.”

“Yeah, I get that, but--”

“Twenty minutes. Sit tight, I just need to make a few calls.”

She hung up on him before Roxas could say any more. He scowled at the now beeping phone, flicked it off, then set it on the coffee table in front of him to stare at it. He resisted the urge to bite his knuckles-- it was either that, or put his fist through the wall, and neither would be conducive to anything.

Fifteen minutes later, a knock sounded at the door, startling him out of his seat. He ran over, looked through the keyhole, then paused when he saw who it was.

“Um, just a second, I need to go put on a shirt,” he lied, heading over to the coffee table and closing TRON’s computer so he could stash it in his room. He cleared his laptop of any incriminating pictures, brushed down his shirt to look a little more presentable, then padded back to the door.

He took a deep breath, then, after a moment’s hesitation, he unbolted the door and opened it.

“Zexion?”

Zexion stepped through the door, apparently off-duty since he was wearing what could only be described as comfortable nerd clothes. He held a computer tucked under one arm, and his other hand held onto the strap of a backpack slung over his shoulder. For all intents and purposes, he looked like a delinquent student, come to crash on his couch for the night.

“Our mutual acquaintance asked me to talk to you about everything that’s been going on,” Zexion replied, setting his laptop down on the computer next to the Ven’s machine. He dropped the bag to the floor, then unzipped it, pulling out cables and power supplies to get his PC up and running.

Roxas stood by the open door for a moment longer, then closed it with a gentle click. “Namine sent you?” he asked, uncertain how much he could or should say. His burner phone was still in his back pocket, hidden under loose layers of clothing and on silent, so if Aqua called or texted him again, Zexion wouldn’t know. For his part, Zexion gave him a long look, then returned his attention to his computer so he could finish logging in.

“She’s worried about you,” was the reply, and Roxas blew out a frustrated sigh. That didn’t make it any more clear, both Namine and Aqua had been hovering lately. “She asked me to come over and see if you wanted to talk about things.”

“Why you?” Roxas asked, and yes, that was definitely an exasperated look. So Zexion probably was talking about Aqua, but he couldn’t be sure, and he wasn’t about to come right out and ask. Hadn’t Aqua warned him that there was dirty stuff going on at the academy and police?

“Maybe she thought we were bonding over instant messaging when we were working on our computers in the hospital,” Zexion replied. “Maybe she thought that since I worked with Ven you’d feel comfortable talking to me. Maybe she thought you’d want to talk to a guy about your crappy love life. Who knows.” He opened his phone, slid his thumb over the screen to search for something, then handed it over to Roxas. “I don’t question her motives, but I am willing to help if you will let me.”

Roxas stared at the phone. There were several messages from Aqua’s burner, the last of which simply said “R found the door we’ve been looking for. Help him open it.”

Roxas swallowed, his throat suddenly dry. He looked back up at Zexion, who waited patiently, not pressing for more. Roxas handed back the phone, feeling numb. How long had Aqua been talking to Zexion? Had she asked him to watch over both Lux brothers?

“I don’t know what she’s told you abou--”

Roxas jumped as Zexion slammed a book on the table, interrupting him. When he saw that he had Roxas’ full attention, he tossed the book back on the table.

“Sorry, I saw a cockroach,” he said, giving Roxas a very pointed stare that cut through the haze of confusion.

“I have… bugs?” Roxas asked, tentatively, and Zexion nodded, shuffling things around on the counter to clear it up a bit.

“It’s no wonder, with your place looking like this,” Zexion said, taking in the apartment with a raised eyebrow. He focused his attention back on Roxas, a familiar and disapproving expression on his face. Roxas wondered if he and Ven had shared notes on which looks were most effective when it came to silent scolding. “Didn’t your brother teach you to pick up after yourself? I expected more from you, Lux.”

“Yeah, well, I’ve been depressed, straightening shit up hasn’t been high on my priority list,” he said, feeling a little queasy at the idea. He didn’t know what upset him more, the fact that someone had apparently broken into his apartment to listen in on his conversations-- and oh god, they probably knew how noisy he was during sex, that was an awful notion-- or the fact that he might, in fact, actually attract legitimate bugs of the creepy crawly kind.

He looked around his apartment, swallowing hard. Where would they even put something like that? Vents? Behind pictures? Was it audio, or both audio and visual. Oh crap, had he and Axel unknowingly put on a show and accidentally recorded a sex tape on his couch?? If that somehow got out, not only would Axel never forgive him (since he was probably never going to do that anyway), he’d outright _murder_ him.

“I guess I really should do a deep clean of the place, to make sure that I, ah, to get rid of them,” he said, stumbling over the words and wondering if that sinking feeling in his stomach was an indication that he was going to throw up. It’d been a hell of a couple of days. Had Zexion been working with Aqua the whole time? Roxas frantically tried to think back over the months that the officer had been assigned to his brother’s security detail. Had there been any clues? Was Zexion that good at hiding things, or was he really just that dense?

“They’re tough to find, they like to hide in the strangest places,” Zexion replied, sounding for all the world as though he really was talking about cockroaches and not an invasion of privacy. He relented, though, his face softening a little. “I have some equipment at home that should help you bait and trap them, though.”

“Thanks,” he said, although he still felt a little shaky about everything, and collapsed back into the chair in the living room. Zexion followed suit, sitting back on the couch and returning to his computer. Roxas watched him, still reeling from the idea that Zexion had probably been working with Aqua --and Ven?-- the whole time and hadn’t said _anything_ , hadn’t given him any indication. Until now. “Why are you here?” he asked again, rubbing his hands over his face.

“You had a fight with your boyfriend weeks ago and you’re still moping. She’s upset that you’re unhappy,” Zexion supplied, then, gave a small, wry smile. “Looks like she had reason to be concerned.”

“I’ve never been dumped before, I didn’t realize there was a cutoff on how long I was allowed to be upset about it,” Roxas snapped, but closed his eyes, trying to remember that Zexion wasn’t really here to give him friendly advice, but then, they couldn’t apparently talk about why he was really there, so why bother showing up?

“Why did she think _you_ would be able to advise me in my love life?” Roxas asked, wondering what the hell they were doing, sitting in a room that was bugged and with increased concern that he had an internet connection that was undoubtedly compromised and monitored. “I mean, no offense, but do you even date?”

“I think the intention was more for you to talk at me, vent if you want, rather than have me advise you,” replied Zexion, and there was definitely a light laugh in his voice. Roxas glared at him.

In any other situation, he could’ve seen the humor of the whole thing, Aqua telling Zexion to go visit Roxas and figure out what he’d uncovered under the pretext of having “guy talk.” Not that that really made _any_ sense, but the whole night was turning surreal. He wasn’t sure he was up to holding a conversation about his sex life with the cop who’d watched over his brother--and probably him, too-- for months while they carried on a nonverbal conversation to unlock a mystery that had been haunting them for months.

He gave Zexion a long, searching look, then leaned forward to pull up the images he’d been looking at previously. He’d have to go reboot TRON, of course, but he might as well make them both more comfortable, especially if he was supposed to be venting about how _frustrated_ he’d been feeling these past couple of weeks, and wouldn’t that be fun? He sighed.

“...Do you want a beer?” he asked.

\- - -

For someone who didn’t say much, Zexion  was actually pretty good at the whole peptalk thing.

“And, I don’t know. It’s not like I meant to get in trouble or piss people off, it just sort of happened, and I don’t get why he doesn’t get that, you know?” Roxas asked three beers later. Zexion, still on his first bottle, made another noncommittal noise, still busy copying the list of files and taking notes.

True to his word, Zexion had let him talk _at_ him, which actually helped Roxas sort of talk through everything he’d been feeling the past couple of weeks without being able to fully explain it to anyone who completely understood what he was going through. And it _did_ help; Roxas felt better, getting it out in the open.

“Yeah, exactly,” Roxas agreed, taking another sip. “I mean, I’m not perfect-- _he’s_ not perfect, you know? He _snores_. Loudly. And he leaves the bathroom a mess in the morning and he’s not actually a redhead-- not that bright color, anyway, and one time he got paint on one of my favorite shirts. But once we started hanging out, things seemed to start looking up. Like, I dunno, it’s sort of cliche or whatever, but after weeks and weeks of everything seeming hopeless and awful and dark, he just sort of… exploded onto the scene and made everything better. Brighter.” He hiccuped, lingering on that thought.

“I really miss him,” he admitted, staring at the beer in his hand. He didn’t even _like_ beer, it was just the only stuff he had because Hayner kept bringing stuff over and then leaving it there, and unfortunately it was all crappy off-brand stuff that tasted like swill when you were sober and soap when you weren’t. Zexion had probably been smart to sip his.

Zexion nodded, still focused on the folder in front of him, but it looked like he was starting to slow down, closing out of folders and starting to pack up. TRON seemed to like him, anyway, answering all of Zexion’s typed queries with an efficient expedience that had Roxas wondering if he’d somehow managed to get around the user permissions, or if he’d just been really stupid on his part when trying to interact with the AI.

A few minutes later, Zexion was done, and he leaned back, rubbing his temples before he spoke. “So, you can take this advice or leave it, it’s up to you, but everything you’ve said tonight seems to boil down to a lack of communication between the two of you, right?”

Roxas nodded, picking at the label of his bottle. “He won’t talk to me anymore,” he said, wondering how Zexion could sound so calm about everything. Then again, Zexion probably didn’t _care_ so it wouldn’t be so hard to be removed from the situation.

“That’s not quite what I meant,” sighed Zexion. He took a sip from his beer, made a face, then put the bottle down on the table, clearly done with it. “I mean that you clearly have a lot to say, but I’m not the one who needs to hear this. If you want to work on your communication and rebuild trust, you need to talk to him.”

“But he won’t answer my calls or texts,” Roxas said, wondering if that came out as whiny as he thought it did.

“When was the last time you tried reaching out to him?” Zexion asked, a touch of exasperation in his voice. He was starting to sound like Namine when she was tired of putting up with Roxas’ angst-- not that he blamed him.

“I…” Roxas trailed off, trying to remember. He _couldn’t_ remember when he’d tried last, so that in itself was sort of telling. “It’s been a while,” he admitted.

Zexion nodded as though he’d figured as much. “So send him a text, let him know you want to try to make things right-- I’m not saying things will magically fix themselves, but if communication is what caused the problem in the first place, you need to actually _talk_ to work things out.”

“Yeahhhh,” Roxas agreed, knowing Zexion was probably right, but not sure if he was up to trying that again. Silence _hurt_. Then again… he hadn’t tried in over a week, maybe just a short message wouldn’t hurt? “...yeah, you’re right. I’m gonna text him, see if he’ll talk to me.”

“That’s the spirit,” Zexion said, getting to his feet and packing his computer back into its bag. He stared at Roxas for a moment, considering him, then decided to give him a pat on the shoulder. It was probably meant to be reassuring, but given that they weren’t particularly close, it came off as more awkward than anything. Still, he understood the sentiment for what it was.

“I appreciate you coming over,” he said, walking Zexion to the door.

Zexion nodded, then paused, hand on the knob. “I’ll be by in a day or two with those bait traps I told you about. I’ll let you know as soon as everything is ready, alright? Shouldn’t take too long.”

Roxas paled, remembering the unsettling revelation from earlier that evening, but nodded, sober enough to remember _not_ to say anything stupid or incriminating out loud. “Appreciate it,” he said.

Zexion gave him a small smile. “Good luck, Lux.”

Roxas closed the door behind him, then headed back to the couch, pulling up his contact for Axel and sucking in his breath. Probably better to do it tonight, it wasn’t like it was _that_ late, not for Axel, and besides it was just a text to ask to talk, not actually calling Axel to try to talk everything out tonight. If they talked tonight, while he wasn’t completely sober, it would probably be bad.

He opened up the chat window and typed out a quick sentence, pressing ‘send’ before he lost his nerve. _We need to talk, will you please just give me a chance and hear me out?_

He sighed and put the phone on the table, not really expecting much of anything, given how Axel had refused to respond to anything he’d sent so far. But as he picked up the bottles and headed to the kitchen to wash them out, he heard the distinct buzz of a text reply. He left the bottles by the sink and picked up his phone, heart fluttering when he saw that it had, in fact, been Axel responding to his text.

...a very drunk Axel, by the look of it.

> **_xx21 11:48 pm_ ** **:** _New phone who dis_

Roxas frowned at the message, but he'd definitely texted Axel, although the extension had changed to a new ending, as though it had been autorouted.

>   ** _xx13 11:48 pm_ ** **:** Why do you have a new phone?
> 
>   ** _xx21 11:52 pm_ ** **:** _The story I'm going with is that Dem dropped it in the toilet and that I definitely did not get drunk and accidentally drop it while riding my bike_
> 
>   ** _xx13 11:53 pm_ ** **:** You were drunk driving??? What the hell Axel
> 
>   ** _xx21 11:57 pm_ ** **:** _Look Mom I made it home in one piece and I got a new phone so it's fine_
> 
>   ** _xx13 11:58 pm_ ** **:** It's not fine and we need to talk. Why didn’t you get Demyx to drive you, what the hell?
> 
> **_xx21 12:02 am_ ** **:** _W/e_

Roxas pinched the bridge of his nose, wondering if it was even worth continuing this line of conversation. On the one hand, Axel was clearly in a mood and would be a pain in the ass to deal with. On the other hand, drunk Axel was actually responding to his texts, and relatively quickly, so he decided it would be better to at least try to talk through things a bit. If nothing else, Axel would have a record of them chatting whenever he sobered up and got over his hangover. Maybe then he’d be willing to talk.

> **_xx13 12:06 am_ ** **:** Are you still drunk?
> 
> **_xx21 12:12 am_ ** **:** _I'm busy what the hell do you want from me_
> 
> **_xx13 12:13 am_ ** **:** I just wanna talk, preferably face to face if you’d be willing to meet

Actually there was a lot more he wanted to do but talking was the first step to damage control.and it sounded like Axel was having a harder time than he'd realized if he was doing stupid shit like drunk driving. They needed to talk and clear the air.

>   ** _xx21 12:14 am_ ** **:** _Look I'm painting and can't talk now. Meet me at the Struggle arena tomorrow night at like 9_

Roxas frowned. Axel had agreed to meet surprisingly quickly, given how pissed off he was about everything, but then, Axel was also currently drunk, and maybe he actually missed Roxas enough that he wanted to see him too? Demyx had mentioned to him that Axel was mopey, so maybe there was hope?

Still, it was weird. Axel didn’t usually text when he was in the middle of painting, so he was either _very_ drunk, or very off his usual self. Roxas hoped it was the former.

>   ** _xx13 12:15 am_ ** **:** Why there? That's like halfway across the city for both of us
> 
> **_xx21 12:22 am_ ** **:** _Better alleys for hiding a body_

Roxas stared at that. It… didn't sound like Axel, but then, Axel was still probably royally pissed and alcohol did lower inhibitions. Axel had never seemed like a mean drunk, but then again, Roxas hadn't seen him super drunk, and Axel had never been drunk and mad at him at the same time. That was a worrying thought.

> **_xx13 12:23 am_ ** **:** Will you be sober enough to drive that far?
> 
> **_xx21 12:25 am_ ** **:** _Are you really one to talk about doing shitty and stupid things?_

God, he was being such a _dick!_ Roxas resisted the urge to snap back, remembering that he was doing this because he _wanted_ to talk to Axel, wanted to make things right. Even if Axel was making it _really_ hard to remember why he loved him so much.

> **_xx13 12:26 am_ ** **:** I'll be there at 9, see you tomorrow
> 
> **_xx21 12:28 am_ ** **:** _K_

Roxas sighed, but he didn't really know what else he'd been expecting. Axel was still angry, but at least he'd been willing to talk to out. Hopefully he’d still be willing to talk tomorrow, once he’d had a chance to sober up. Of course, they'd probably end up fighting again anyway, but at least they could try to be civil going in.

He pulled up Namine’s number and sent her a quick message. 

> **_xx13 12:30 am_ ** **:** Meeting Axel to talk, if you don't hear from me check the alley behind the struggle arena for my body :p

Fortunately, she was still awake. She sent him a smiley face and a quick response.

> **_xx18 12:30 am_ ** **:** _That's progress! Keep me posted and lmk if you need anything_
> 
> **_xx13 12:32 am_ ** **:** Meeting at 9 so…. If Stuff goes bad maybe you can come over?
> 
> **_xx18 12:33 am_ ** **:** _Text me and I’ll be there_

He smiled, feeling better than he had in _weeks_ . For the first time in almost a month, he was gonna get to see Axel again. They’d talk, and if things went ok, they’d meet up and talk again.Things wouldn’t get fixed overnight, he _knew_ that, but he could feel that spark of hope and happiness welling up in his gut.

...wait, no, that was Hayner’s shitty beer.

After Roxas had cleared most of the crap he’d drank that evening out of his system, between feeling like he still might vomit and the fact that he wanted to think about Axel-- and then there was the whole Zexion and Aqua thing, how the heck had he missed that?-- he knew he wasn’t going to get much sleep. So, he spent the next two hours cleaning the apartment, then he took a shower and then finally collapsed into bed.

The sheets still smelled like Axel. Maybe it was because he’d only changed the sheets once in the time since they’d broken up, since, you know, he’d mostly been sleeping on the couch. Or maybe it was the fact that he’d taken to using one of Axel’s shirts as a pillowcase. Either way, when he finally fell asleep, he slipped into dreams of ice cream and laughter during the halcyon summer vacation days.


	17. Don't Think Twice

Axel was late.

It was close to 9:20 now, the place more or less deserted since the arena itself closed at 8, and there weren’t really any shops in this part of town that stayed open past 6 apart from a few hole-in-the-wall takeout places and convenience stores. The Struggle supply shed was locked up for the night, and even the arena lights were off-- the main ones, anyway, so the only illuminations were the MAKO-pale streetlamps and what light spilled in from the neon signs that advertised upcoming Struggle Matches at the distant end of the ring.

Roxas sat on the edge of the stage, playing on his phone and looking up every time he heard the engine of a car or noticed the movement of a pedestrian walking down the street. Axel was probably going to come on his bike, but he might’ve walked. If he came. Would he come? Or was this some sort of power play to get his point across? Or maybe he was stuck in traffic, or maybe he'd decided to bail after all, but Roxas felt…. It just _felt_ off. He felt exposed waiting there by himself. It might not’ve been so bad if he actually had a Struggle bat or something-- not so much to ward off any people who might want to cause mischief, but more as a way to occupy his mind while he waited.

He’d give him til 9:30. That was enough time, right? Namine was on call, so he could give her a call and maybe still have time to meet her and the others at the bar like they’d originally planned. But then, Namine had warned him that they were going to Luxord’s, and there’d be the chance that he would run into Axel there. Is _that_ where he was? Had he really developed a drinking problem in the last month, and one bad enough that he’d lost track of time? It didn't sound like the Axel he knew and he didn’t think _Demyx_ would let it get that bad, but then again, Demyx was probably busy with work and tour prep, and that text from Axel hadn't sounded like him either.

He could text Namine, ask her if she saw him there, try to see if anyone knew where he was--

Shadows moved at the other end of the arena. He squinted into the darkness, but from what he could tell it was just a couple of people making their way from one darkly lit street to another. They walked at a quick but untroubled pace, no doubt anxious to be at their destination sooner than later, and out of this admittedly creepy area.

He looked at his phone again, 9:23. He pulled his hoodie closer around him, trying to shake off the uneasy feeling settling in the pit of his stomach. Maybe just two more minutes. This was stupid anyway, they should’ve met during the day, somewhere public where they could just be two people having lunch or coffee or whatever, not two people in the night talking into what might develop into another fight and bad situation.

He stiffened. There was definitely a noise now, and it sounded like it was coming towards him. That would’ve been promising if it didn’t sound like multiple people-- the same people from before?-- but it sounded like those people were trying to be furtive.

This was a _really_ stupid idea. He hopped off the stage and headed towards the dim light of the convenience store a block away, fumbling in his pocket for his phone. Namine could get him, or he could call a cab or something. He could even call Cloud or Squall if he was _really_ feeling desperate, since he really shouldn’t have come alone to this part of town--

A hard shove knocked the phone out of his hand. It skittered into the darkness, and if he hadn’t spent years working on fencing reflexes he probably would’ve stumbled and fallen. He managed to keep his footing with a few quick steps, throwing his weight into a pivot to half turn towards his attacker, bringing his arm up in a hit meant to knock the wind out of someone.

His elbow sank into soft fabric, but the attacker was on guard, too. Another shove, this time from a different angle. Attackers, then. Plural.

It was hard to tell, but it looked like there were three of them, although their dark clothes helped them melt into the shadows. He could make out hands reaching for him again, though, so he ducked and threw himself forward into a run. An unseen opponent grabbed his sleeve, and while he knew he could twist into the hold to break contact, he wasn’t expecting the kick to his stomach from another assailant as he turned towards the one holding him. He went down hard, winded and tasting copper in his mouth as his face hit the paver stones.

He and Cloud hadn’t really gone into hand to hand combat, which was a pity, he might’ve had a better idea of what to do when you were surrounded by people who seemed to have a good six inches on him and a whole lot more muscle mass. Struggle fighters? Or athletes of some sort? That would’ve been fine, all things considered, since he’d trained to be fast and slippery, but only if he thought these were actual muggers and not some sort of elaborate setup. He couldn’t make out their faces or much beyond their builds, but they moved efficiently and in coordination, suggesting training-- or at least they’d done this kind of thing often enough that they knew what to expect from the other two, shifting in tandem to hold him still.

As it was, he didn’t have the wind or strength to fight the boot on his back, and he only managed a feeble grip on hands that rifled through his pockets, apparently looking for his wallet. Everything he had on him was in his front pocket, though, and they seemed to realize that after a few scattered seconds of hasty pat downs and muttered curses. They stepped back, the boot lifted, and he sucked in a deep breath, tasting blood and grit from the street.

Roxas focused on getting his breathing back under control, trying to ignore the split lip and bruised nose--god, he hoped it was just bruised, if he broke it by falling down he’d never hear the end of it from Ven. It was _obvious_ now, of course this had been a setup, but he’d been feeling so _good_ about finally getting more information, feeling safe, knowing that he had another familiar face he could trust that when Axel agreed to meet with him just seemed like another bit of luck falling in his favor.

 _Some luck_ . They hauled him to his feet and half-dragged him towards one of the darker sections of the plaza. The phrase ‘ _Better alleys for hiding a body_ ’ crept unbidden back into the forefront of his thoughts, and sure enough, they seemed to be heading towards the short alley with the dumpsters behind the concession stands. What a place to end up-- on the bright side, at least Namine would know where to start looking when he failed to check in with her that night.

His head met brick as two of them shoved him up against the wall, the one to his right was patting down his pockets for… god knew what. He’d lost his phone, didn’t really have any munny in his wallet, there were his keys to his place, of course, and Namine’s spare, but the only other thing he had on him was-- _shit_.

They found the burner phone and it disappeared into one of their pockets, then they went through his things again to confirm there was nothing else to grab.

“There’s nothing else,” complained an unfamiliar voice, apparently the one who’d been rifling through his clothes. “He doesn’t have it.”

“Shut it,” snapped another voice, and Roxas shivered. That one _was_ familiar.

He couldn’t dwell on it, though. They gave him another hard shove for good measure, and his stomach muscles clenched as the back of his skull hit brick, sending frissions of pain down his spine. He could feel the blood rolling down his chin from his nose, knew he was gonna ache tomorrow from the kick to his ribs. Hopefully they weren't broken, he wasn't having trouble breathing from pain, it was more that it was hard to focus on anything because he couldn’t stop thinking about how idiotic he was for falling for something so clichéd and _stupid_ and ignoring his gut instincts that it hadn’t been Axel after all.

That was a silver lining, at least. Good to know he hadn’t driven Axel to drink or anything stupid.  Would Axel show up at his funeral? Because he definitely wasn’t getting out of here alive.

As if on cue, the familiar voice spoke up again, and Roxas felt a hand prop up his chin so the man could look him in the eye. Well, as much as he _could_ look him in the eye when they were all standing around in the dark. His eyes were getting more adjusted to the dim light, but it was still tough to make out fine details.

“So you know the deal, right? Tell me what I wanna know and you’re free to go.”

Roxas laughed. He couldn’t help it, they’d just confirmed that he was gonna die tonight, behind the fucking _dumpsters_ in a back alley and if the fates were really looking to deal him another low blow, it would be Seifer who found him because of _course_ that would be his kind of luck. Crap, hopefully him thinking that wouldn’t give the powers that be any ideas, but then again, he’d rather it be Seifer to stumble across his corpse than Namine. She didn’t deserve to see… whatever he’d end up looking like when they were done.

He didn’t expect the backhanded slap-- probably should have, since they were clearly expecting a response and laughing at them probably hadn’t been the smartest idea. He coughed and sagged against the wall, which made the two men holding him up shift their grip to accommodate for more weight.

“Something funny, punk?”

“I _do_ know the deal, you’re trying to get me to give up something that I don’t have,” he managed, fighting down another giggle. Oh god, this was it. He was going to die in a hysterical laughing fit. Still, he’d managed a surprising amount of confidence in his voice, given that his heart was pounding in his throat and it was difficult to speak. He licked bruised lips, tasting blood. “I also know that you don’t intend to keep me alive, since you’re not even bothering to disguise your voice or anything. I guess you’ve been playing ‘bad cop’ way too long and just got sloppy. That’s probably why you’re in the mess in the first place, right? Forgot to clean up after something?”

“Have I ever mentioned how much I fuckin’ hate Luxes?” Xigbar sighed, and Roxas could hear the scuff of boots on pavement as he paced in front of him. “I swear the only reason you’ve lasted this long is because you’re more trouble dead than alive. All that damn paperwork.”

“I’m not doing it for you,” cut in a third voice, somewhat familiar. Roxas had the vague impression of one of the beat cops, a burly brunet with an ego that probably overflowed into his ridiculously tight-fitting muscle shirts. Greg? Gary? Something with a G, but Ven had always told him to leave the officers to their work, and hadn’t bothered introducing him to them.

“Aww, but you always said you wanted to work in homicide,” Xigbar said, and Roxas could see his face in the sudden flare of a match. He lit the cigarette, took a puff, then blew the smoke out of the corner of his mouth. His teeth gleamed in the dim light. “Think there might be a new case, just for you.”

“Yeah? You got a hot tip?” asked G-something. Gastris? No, wait, no one would name their kid that. Gaspar? Fuck it, he’d call him Gastritis, the guy was a shithead anyway.

“Mm,” Xigbar agreed, and Roxas watched the glow of the cigarette butt as he twirled it between his fingers. “Sad case. Young kid, up and coming scholar at the academy. Bright future ahead of him, people were saying the chief was thinking about grooming him for the elite squad.”

“What happened?” asked the other goon, a lighter, somewhat worried tone in his voice. Did he really not understand what Xigbar meant? Or was he just playing _really stupid goon_? “Was there an accident or something? Car accident? Kids these days drive too fast, I keep saying we need to raise the driving age. Wait, no, you said homicide, that doesn’t work. ...Unless someone cut his brakes!” ...Ok, apparently he was just stupid.

“Oh, it was awful,” Xigbar replied, ignoring Stupid. There was the soft rustle of fabric as he moved, then cool metal patted the side of Roxas’ face, making him flinch back. Xigbar laughed. “What was left of the body was pretty messed up, covered in burns and cuts, and kid suffered some broken bones before death. Whoever grabbed him really did a number on him.”

“That’s _terrible,”_ said Stupid. “I keep telling the boss we need more guys on the streets, keep this from happening.” Gastritis just laughed, tightening his hold on Roxas’ arm.

“What’s worse is that there were signs that the kid resisted. Probably what made them rough him up so much before they finished things up.” The knife patted Roxas’ cheek again, then pulled away. “Speaking of paperwork--”

“Were we?” Roxas quipped, which earned him a punch to the stomach. He gagged as Xigbar continued on as though he hadn’t interrupted.

“--it’d be helpful if I had that little program your big bro made. We got your sister’s but it self destructed, code monkeys tried grabbing what they could but the damn thing _melted_ itself into the motherboard.”

“That’s a shame,” Roxas coughed out. “But like I said, you’re asking for something I don’t have.”

The glow of the cigarette butt flared as Xigbar took a long pull, and Roxas coughed as the smoke was blown into his face. He yelped as heat flared on his collarbone, fighting against the hold of the two goons and sagging back when the offending heat was taken away. His shoulder stung and his eyes were watering from pain and smoke, and even the goons seemed a bit off-put by getting smoke blown in their faces. Gastritis coughed, turning away to suck in some fresh air while Stupid loosened his grip to swipe at his eyes.

Roxas was acutely aware of how very quiet this part of town was-- even after he’d cried out, there was literally no one there to help him. Xigbar had found the perfect place to take his time to get what he wanted-- and he’d probably done it before. Roxas shivered again, blood pounding in his ears.

“I trained under him, y’know,” Xigbar said after a moment, so offhanded and cheerful that Roxas looked up, despite the twinge in his neck. The shadow of Xigbar loomed in front of him, but he was back to smoking, arms crossed, looking for all the world like he was out for a stroll. He grinned when he saw he had Roxas’ attention. “Yeah, _him_ . The Big Guy, Sephiroth, before he went apeshit and tried to turn everyone into freaks. Not saying he was a particularly _good_ commander, but the man knew his shit when it came to interrogation.”

Roxas knew this. He knew this, because _Ven_ knew this after months of assisting the cleanup efforts, which included inputting the dozen or so highly detailed, descriptive survivor reports. Ven never broke his non disclosure agreements, but whenever the late general’s name appeared in the paper, or they heard it on the news, a stillness came over his brother, an unsettled quiet that shook Ven to his very core. Roxas had no idea what the general had done-- didn’t think he actually wanted to know, based on Ven’s reaction-- but he knew enough that his heart (already pounding at an alarming rate) decided to kick up the tempo another step.

The mere mention of the name was enough to distract him, though, which was probably what Xigbar had been hoping for. That’s why he jumped when a thumb pressed into the burn, crying out as pressure increased the sting of the burn. Xigbar wasn’t using his bare hands, though-- he was wearing gloves because of _course_ he was, no point in contaminating your own crime scene. Roxas still flinched from the touch, although Stupid and Gastritis didn’t let him get far.

“It’s aaaaaall about control,” Xigbar drawled, and shifted his thumb to dig the point of the finger into the burn. Roxas yelped again, and Xigbar laughed. “And knowing which buttons to push.”

“Not sure how pushing buttons is going to get you something I don’t have,” gasped Roxas, and Xigbar eased off, shrugging. Then the knife was back, dragging across his throat, tip coming to rest at his jugular. Roxas swallowed back a yelp, trying not to flinch and accidentally injure any more of his skin than what Xigbar had managed to cut.

“You know, we’ll find it with or without your help. And honestly, even if you do talk we all know how this thing is going down. But if you’re not feeling chatty, I may as well make sure that you don’t--”

Whatever Xigbar planned to do was interrupted by the squeal of tires as what could only be a motorcycle made a sharp turn into the open arena, followed by the sound of trash cans clanking the the ground. Apparently the motorcyclist barreling towards them wasn’t going to let anything get in his way, because the bike _was_ heading towards them, or at least, making a circuit of the arena, and Roxas knew it was a long shot, but there was a thrill of hope, maybe, just _maybe_ ….

“Axel!” he called out, wondering if the cyclist would even be able to hear him over the engine and rolling cans, but the bike turned again, this time making a beeline towards the alley. Xigbar cursed, dropping the knife and pulling back his coat and snapping open what could only be a gun holster.

“Hold him!” barked Xigbar, and Roxas could feel the goons start to comply. But he pulled against the arms holding him once again, ignoring the swell of pain in his ribs and stomach.

From the sound of it, the bike stopped in front of the alleyway, the rider jumping off and jogging towards the dumpsters. Roxas couldn’t turn his head thanks to Stupid’s headlock, but he could just make out Xigbar raising his gun. The goons were distracted, though, and Roxas was _not_ going to let Xigbar shoot whoever was coming to his rescue. He pushed back against the wall, using Gastritis’ and Stupid’s hold for balance, and kicked Xigbar in the jaw.

At the same moment, something came hurtling through the darkness and hit Gastritis on the side of the head. The grip went limp as the goon crumpled to the ground, and he heard the sound of a trash can lid rolling down the alley as his rescuer darted around the dumpsters, leapt over Xigbar’s half-hunched body, and clocked Stupid in the face with what had to be another lid.

There was a brief struggle -- Roxas could see the figure (Axel, it _had_ to be Axel) pause as Xigbar reached out and grabbed at his leg, pulling him down hard to his knees. Roxas could hear a fist making contact with flesh, and “FUCK” in an achingly familiar voice before the second trash can lid flashed up in the dim light, blocking further blows. Axel smacked it against Xigbar’s head, sending the officer back to the ground.

Roxas grinned despite his torn lip, pulling out of Stupid’s limp grip and using the momentum to throw his elbow back into Stupid’s face before launching himself in Axel’s direction. Well… he tried. His stomach doubled up as he put weight on his left ankle-- apparently he’d kicked Xigbar harder than he’d thought, or maybe they’d managed to twist something while they were hauling him around-- but he managed to stumble forward, Axel dropping his metal shield to thread an arm under his shoulders and bodily haul him over Xigbar and Gastritis’ prone forms.

“He got my gosh darned _nose_ ,” yelled Stupid, apparently too preoccupied with the blood rolling down his face to deal with chasing them.

“Go after them, Kronk,” hissed Xigbar, and Roxas could hear the shuffle of him getting to his knees, no doubt searching the ground around him. Stupid--or _Kronk_ , apparently-- didn’t go after them, far too concerned about his face to deal with Roxas. Gastritis was coming to, moaning and complaining, and Xigbar was openly cursing now. A small pen light shone out, sweeping the ground as he searched the littered alleyway.

“ _Gun_ ,” Roxas warned between hissed breaths, and Axel swore, dropping all pretenses of letting Roxas escape on his own two feet. Axel reached behind his knees to scoop him up, and then they were running, back towards the alleyway opening, back to safety.

Despite the extra weight, Axel made it to the arena in record time. He shifted Roxas to lean against him as he straddled the bike and righted it, then Axel pulled Roxas around front and into his lap. He was facing the wrong way and he wasn’t wearing a helmet, and he’d barely had enough time to wrap his arms around Axel’s neck before the bike was moving, the angry shouts of Xigbar and Kronk drowned out by the engine’s kick into high gear.

With his cheek pressed against Axel’s jacket, Roxas could feel Axel’s heart, or maybe that was the rumble of the bike. Or maybe it was the blood pounding in his own ears- a lot had happened in the last… who even knew how long that had taken, but they’d made it out alive, were speeding away and off to safety. Sure, he knew it’d been Xigbar behind the attack and Xigbar knew where Axel lived and stuff, but they’d made it out of there against all odds.

And against all odds, Axel _had_ come after all.

He couldn’t feel his ankle and his nose had that stuffy, super bruised feeling. There was blood caked across his face and his chest radiated pain from the burn, and he was pretty sure that if he started to think too hard about what _might_ have happened he’d throw up all over both of them which would _not_ be good.

But Axel had _come_ . Axel, who hadn’t actually sent that text, or agreed to meet with him or really have anything to do with him ever again. Axel had come, he was _here_ , and he was breaking all kinds of speed limits and traffic laws to get them out of there. Roxas had just been rescued from a B grade spy film scenario and literally swept off his feet by his love interest, and they were making a high speed getaway to… well, Axel probably had something in mind. Maybe the hospital. They could both probably use some pain killers.

This was the city, though, and because Radiant Gardens was forever a work-in-progress, they hit construction traffic a few miles out. Axel was forced to slow as cars jammed up the intersections and concrete barriers limited the space he could use to weave in and out of the lanes.

“Shit shit shit shit shit,” Axel said, although it seemed more like a mantra than something he actually expected Roxas to reply to, given that they were going well over the speed limit and going down _sidewalks_ to get away.

“Fuck,” Roxas agreed, more in commiseration than in needing to reply, but he felt Axel’s arm tighten around him, felt the shift in the hold as Axel glanced down.

“Stay with me, don’t pass out,” Axel said, “I called in the cavalry so we should have a welcome party at my place.”

“Slow _down_ ,” Roxas said, raising his voice above the sound of the bike. He tugged on Axel’s arm, then felt a pang of guilt when he remembered that Axel was probably bruised and sore from Xigbar’s kick. Still, it got the redhead’s attention, and the bike slowed to a normal, more legal speed.

Roxas shifted uncomfortably, suddenly aware that he was clinging to Axel and that Axel had fucking swooped in and gotten hurt to save him like he was a friggin damsel in distress, and then on top of that he was just so damn _happy_ to see him that he almost forgot his cuts and bruises. The anger hadn’t even seemed to register-- well, anger towards Roxas, anyway, Axel had seemed pretty pissed at the guys who’d jumped him-- and it was pathetic and opportunistic, but Roxas let himself relax, going boneless against Axel just to feel the hold tighten.

If he closed his eyes, he could pretend that Axel was hugging him again, and god, what did that say about his priorities, that he was _glad_ that he’d gotten the chance to see Axel again, even if he’d had to get jumped by bad guys to do it? He sighed and leaned into Axel’s shoulder and shifting to try to keep the pressure off his aching side.

Axel tightened his grip again, his voice laced with irritation. “Dude, what did I _just_ say? Keep your eyes open, we’re almost there.”

“Sorry,” Roxas mumbled, and shifted so he wasn’t tempted to lean in again. They rode the rest of the way in silence-- well, as quiet as it could be on a motorcycle-- and Roxas was glad to find that his ankle was feeling better after letting it rest. Probably sprained at worst, which meant he’d be up about about again sooner than if he’d managed to break the damn thing. Still, he wobbled uncomfortably on the sidewalk til Axel stepped in and propped him up, not saying a word. It was a long, painful, and awkward walk up to the apartment.

To his credit, Demyx didn’t complain when they showed up. Namine was there, and Reno, the two of them standing back out of the way as Axel helped Roxas stumble along. Demyx just pointed them into the kitchen to make it easier for cleanup, a row of supplies already laid out, like he already knew to expect trouble. He tsked at their cuts, gently prodding at bruises that darkened as blood started to pool under abused skin. He helped Roxas take off his shirt, confirmed that the ribs were just bruised, and helped clean gravel out of the numerous cuts. He didn’t even ask how they’d gotten their injuries, although his scowl deepened as he listened to Axel debrief Reno on the scene he’d found.

The lights hurt his eyes, but Roxas dutifully opened them as wide as he could when Demyx brought the penlight to his face, and winced when he felt cut over his eye reopen from the movement. Demyx started muttering under his breath and handed him a rag to blot the bleeding.

When he was done with Roxas, he turned to check out Axel’s split lip and bruises, although Axel was holding a beer bottle up to the spot, taking a drink and grimacing before putting the cold glass back in place. Demyx made him put the thing down and gave him a proper check up while Reno flopped onto the seat next to Roxas.

“So what’s your story?”

“I lost my phone,” Roxas said, and winced at the pull of abused skin around his lips but forced himself to keep going. “If you find it, there are texts from someone claiming to be Axel, telling me to meet him at the arena at 9. I let Namine know where I’d be and then headed down to meet him.”

“Did the person texting you outright say they were Axel?” Reno asked, jotting down notes and pausing for Roxas’ answers.

“No, but the message I sent to Axel’s number was auto-rerouted to the one that sent the responses. And he answered with enough details about Axel’s life-- roommate name, knowing that he uses a bike, that he’s pissed off at me-- so, yeah, I mean, it sounds stupid now but at the time it sounded plausible enough to be him, even if the texts didn’t sound _exactly_ like him.”

Reno paused from his notes and looked over at Axel, who was trying to take another drink around Demyx’s fussing. “For the record, why’re you pissed at the kid?”

“Fuck off,” Axel replied, then lowered to bottle again to let Demyx apply tape to his lip.

“We had a fight,” Roxas replied, voice curt. “A month ago. I wanted to talk to him and this was the first time he’d bothered replying. Well, I thought it was him.”

“If it didn’t sound like him, why’d you go?” Reno asked, willing to take ‘a fight’ at face value so he could get back to his notes.

Roxas shifted, mulling over how to say ' _I was willing to chance it because wanted to see him since I’ve missed him so much_ ’ without sounding pathetic. He settled for “I wanted to clear the air between us.”

Reno paused, apparently expecting Roxas to say _how_ he’d planned to do that, but that was between Roxas and Axel, and he was damned if he was gonna blurt out everything in front of his best friend, his ex-boyfriend’s big brother, and his ex’s roommate. Namine picked up on this and squeezed his shoulder, and Reno shrugged after a minute, apparently willing to let it slide for now.

“Ok,” he said, picking up his notebook again. “So you got the texts, you let your friend know where you were going, and then what?”

“I took the trolley to the South Station stop and walked the rest of the way. Got there around 8:50, and waited at the arena for him to show up.”

“But he didn’t.”

“Well, he hadn’t texted me, so why would he show up?” Roxas asked, not even bothering to hide his irritation at such a stupid question. It was bad enough _knowing_ that he’d been an idiot and very nearly gotten killed, having to explain all of his stupid actions in full detail only laid out what a complete moron he’d been. Still, Reno was only doing his job, and pretty much everyone in the room already knew he did stupid things when Axel was involved.

“How long did you wait?”

“I was gonna give him til 9:30,” Roxas replied, refusing to look anywhere other than at Reno. “I figured if he didn’t show then he’d changed his mind and was still too angry to talk.”

“Ok, so what happened? Walk me through it,” Reno asked, and Roxas felt a shift in the room, subtle, but everyone sort of stilled to hear what happened next. He squirmed in his seat, uncomfortable with the attention, but maintained eye contact with Reno.

“I heard people approaching and thought they might give me trouble, so I decided to leave. I was getting out my phone to call a cab when one of them grabbed my hood to pull me back and I punched him in the stomach, but there were two other guys with him. They knocked me down then dragged me into the alley to check through my pockets. I dropped my phone somewhere along the way.”

“What did you have in your pockets?” Reno asked.

“A tester phone for my game,” Roxas replied, which wasn’t _quite_ a lie, since the game was installed on the burner. He’d have to figure out a way to get in touch with Zexion to get in touch with Aqua to let her know that number was compromised, maybe Demyx would have his contact info. “My wallet, which only had about 20 munny in it, and my keys.”

“Ok,” replied Reno, making a quick note. “Can you describe their builds, any recognizable features? Did they speak at all during this, do you think you’d be able to pick out a voice if we did a lineup?”

Roxas stared at him, giving him a flat look. “Seriously?”

“Well, anything that might help us identify them would be a help, yeah.”

Roxas sighed, resisting the urge to scrub his hands over his face because _ow_ and also, as he kept having to remember, Reno was just doing his job.

“I know who they were,” he said, then backtracked to clarify, “well, I know the leader and he dropped the name of one of the others. The third guy was familiar too but I forget his name.”

Reno’s head snapped up from his notebook, and even Demyx stopped tidying up the kitchen to stare.

“Dude, _seriously?_ ” Demyx asked, apparently giving up the pretense of not listening in. He turned to Axel. “Why the heck didn’t you go to the police?”

“Because they _were_ the fuckin’ police,” Axel replied, walking over to the fridge and getting another beer. He paused, looked at Roxas, then got out a second bottle. He popped off the cap, then handed it to Roxas without another word.

“And I have absolutely no proof of that,” Roxas said, although he took the beer with quiet appreciation. Demyx promptly took it from him before he could drink, though, holding up the bottle of painkillers he’d taken when they’d gotten there. Roxas sighed, and took the offered bag of chocopeas.

“I can give you names but it’s my word against theirs’, and they made it clear that they didn’t care that I knew who they were,” he said, wincing at the cold but keeping it there at Demyx’s insistence. “I’m talking to _you_ because I know your unit is separate from them, but there are other people I need to talk to, too--”

“That’s already been handled,” Reno interrupted, waving the notebook as if to brush those worries aside. “I need names, if you have them.”

“How has _what_ been handled?” Roxas asked, unwilling to let it rest.

Reno sighed. “I talked to _Anna_ while you guys were getting here,” he said, emphasizing the name, and Roxas felt some of the tension leak out of his muscles, leaving him exhausted and boneless in the chair. She _knew_. She’d be able to get rid of the phone and erase her digital trail and she’d be safe. And she could let Zexion know that Xigbar and his goons were getting unhinged and sloppy, so he’d be on alert, too. The important thing was that she was safe and Zexion would know, too, and they could get in touch with him some other way, when they were finally ready to move.

“Xigbar,” he said, finally answering Reno’s question. “And he called another one ‘Kronk’, but I don’t remember the name of the third one. G-something, maybe starting with _Ges_ or _Gas_. Strong and big muscles. I’d say he probably looks top heavy since he lost his balance really easily when Axel clocked him in the face.”

Reno took it in stride, not even bothering to pretend to be surprised at that, since Axel had failed to mention it in his own retelling. He simply made a note and then looked up again. “Ok, did they say anything? Talk about what they wanted, or what they planned to do?”

“They wanted TRON,” Roxas replied. “Xion’s copy killed himself by frying the motherboard of the PC they used. They thought I carried it on me, which makes me think they’ve already tossed my apartment.” He laughed, a bitter, short sound. “It’s probably why they were late to the arena.”

“It’s not at the apartment?” Reno asked, and Roxas shot him a glare.

“It’s safe,” he said, then pushed on before Reno could ask where it was and get him into even more trouble. “When I told him I didn’t have it, he told me he’d worked under Sephiroth. I don’t know what that means, not exactly, but I know enough vicariously through Ven to know it wouldn’t have been a fun evening. Then Axel showed up before he could do anything, and you know the rest from him.”

It was at this point that Demyx slammed down his first aid kit to draw everyone’s attention. He glared at Axel, then at Roxas.

‘So I’m just gonna come out and say this, but if I wasn’t under an oath to ‘do no harm’ I would probably throttle the two of you right now,” he said, hands on his and face flushed in anger. Then he remembered himself and looked over his shoulder at Reno, who was typing furiously into his phone, no doubt updating the team with everything going on. “Oh, and, um, if we didn’t have a figure of authority in the room as witness to attempted murder.”

“I’m not even here,” replied Reno, typing away at his phone and not bothering to look up.

“Don’t call him that, you’ll inflate his ego,” Axel muttered around his bottle. He pulled it away and used his tongue to prod at his swollen lip, thought better of it, then readjusted the glass. “More than it already is.”

Demyx frowned and leaned back against the counter, his expression grim and voice tight.

“I’m serious,” he said, and his tone brought their focus directly on him. He looked between the two of them, lips thinned as he pressed them together, clearly making an effort not to shout at them. He closed his eyes, nodded his head as he mentally counted to ten, then tried again.

“I don’t know what happened between you two and I really wasn’t going to ask since it wasn’t my business, but I have a feeling that tonight had something to do with it, and you coming in here and bleeding all over my kitchen has _made_ it my business.” He turned to Axel, narrowing his eyes. “The fact that your brother is here in an official capacity at _your_ insistence also makes me think that this is more than your typical lovers’ spat and that I might need to be concerned about legalities on top of getting blood out of our kitchen towels.”

Roxas squinted over at Reno to see what he was supposed to say, but the agent had his back to them, talking in a low voice to someone on the other end of the phone. Reno hadn’t said anything about _not_ saying anything, but at the same time… Aqua had made a point to remind him how important it was to limit knowledge of their work outside of the small team working on the case. He bit his lip, trying to buy some time, and regretted it when his cut reminded him that, hello, yes, it was still there and it would be a great time to open up again.

Demyx, sighed, relented, and handed him the towel again, and he used it to pat away the blood and try to stop the bleeding.

“Roxas has been working with Aqua on shady hacker shit,” Axel supplied when Roxas hesitated. Roxas glared at him, but Axel refused to look at him. “For _months_.”

Demyx looked between them, waiting for more. When he realized Axel was done, he gestured for him to continue. “Ok…”

“It really isn’t,” Axel bit out.

“If that’s the issue here--” Demyx tried again, but Axel cut him off. He was talking to Demyx, yeah, but his entire focus was on Roxas, who shrank back a little under that angry glare.

“It’s _not_ the issue here, not the only one anyway, and tonight was a very good example of _why_ it’s an issue--damn it! Just forget it,” Axel dropped off his sentence mid-complaint, bringing the bag of ice back up to his face and deciding against finishing his tirade. He opted for focusing that anger at the floor tiles instead of giving Roxas any more attention.

“Roxas?”

“I’ve already said my piece on it,” Roxas said, wishing there really _was_ more to say, anything he could do to get Axel to actually _look_ at him again, to talk, but it seemed like that ship had sailed.

“AUGH.” Demyx threw up his hands, then picked up the medical kit and stormed off to the bathroom to stash it away.

The adrenaline that had kept him going suddenly drained away, leaving Roxas slumped against the kitchen counter, bone-achingly tired. He’d have to get out of there sooner than later to avoid more questions and awkward silence, and he briefly wondered if it would be safe to go back to his place. He’d have to go get his things, but he might be able to bunk with Namine for a couple of days while they sorted stuff out. She’d probably be willing to give him a ride, too.

He turned to her, and she was already getting her purse from the living room, pulling out her keys. He set the bag of peas down by the sink, then looked at Axel, who was still glaring at the floor, arms crossed. Demyx still looked pretty pissed off when he came back into the room, but  he seemed torn between wanting to yell at them and sulk in angry silence. He opted for chugging the beer he’d taken from Roxas instead.

Namine stopped in the doorway to the kitchen. “It’s late, and while I agree with Demyx that you two need to work out your issues like adults, I also think it should wait until morning at the very least. You _are_ going to talk,” she said, giving them both a very pointed look, and Roxas managed to catch Axel’s eye for a moment before the redhead turned away again. Namine sighed, clearly done with this. “Not tonight. But soon, this has gone on long enough. Roxas, you’re staying with me til further notice and I won’t take any complaints.”

“I appreciate it,” he said, not even having the strength to put up a fake fight.

“Boss says I’m coming with you,” Reno chimed in, rolling out of his seat and trailing behind Namine. “They’re sending a crew over to check out your place, make sure it’s secure, and I’ll do a sweep of where you’ll stay tonight, but you’re not staying at your apartment til we’ve got better security in place. Is the train thing they’re after at your apartment, or do we need to go somewhere else?”

“TRON,” Roxas corrected him, then paused, considering his answer. “Umm…Can I plead the fifth on this?”

“Just tell me,” Reno said, and Roxas recognized the exasperated tone from Axel-- or maybe Axel had learned it from Reno? It made his heart hurt either way. Their voices even _sounded_ the same and that really wasn’t fair, especially if Reno planned to stay with him until further notice.

“I _may_ have, um, broken some rules and smuggled in some stuff for Ven,” Roxas admitted, then held up his hands to ward off Demyx’s angry protests. “Computer stuff! No food or anything, scouts honor. I told you I wouldn’t give him cup noodles even though he keeps whining about it, and I haven’t.” He looked over at Reno, who still seemed vaguely amused by the entire situation. “I asked him to babysit TRON for me--although technically speaking it’s just him dealing with his own AI so I guess it’s not so much babysitting as it was retaking some of his responsibilities.”

“Eh, the hospital is still functioning so he probably hasn’t managed to get into _too_ much trouble,” Reno said. “Still, I probably _would_ plead ignorance if someone asks how he got the gear. There’s a reason why we don’t let house-arrest hackers have access to tech.”

Roxas peeled away from the kitchen cabinets, glad to note that he didn’t actually fall down, even though his stomach ached from stiff muscles and bruised ribs. His ankle still throbbed, and he had a feeling that he was going to keep tasting blood for a while as he waited for the cut on his lip to heal, but he was standing, and that’s all that counted.

Axel deliberately turned away and went back to the fridge to grab another beer, but Roxas paused in the doorway, not willing to leave without at least saying _something_. But what could he say? Sorry I got you even more involved? Sorry I keep making your life miserable? Sorry I keep putting you in bad situations?

“Thank you for saving me tonight,” he said at last. Axel flinched, but didn’t turn around. Roxas swallowed around the sudden lump in his throat, and forced himself to look at Demyx, who was still pissed off, but mostly just looked as tired as he felt. “Thanks for patching me up.”

“Take better care of yourself,” Demyx chided, but he softened it with a quick, careful hug. “Now get out of here, get some rest.” He stopped, tilting his head in thought. “You should probably get another phone, too. I’ll check in with Namine tomorrow to see how you’re feeling.”

\- - -

Ven was still up when they got there, typing away at the cobbled-together laptop and cursing under his breath. Zexion sat beside him, quietly typing away at his own computer, though he paused when they came into the room, catching Reno’s eye. Reno shrugged, leaning against the doorframe.

“She’s ready when you are,” he said, then headed out into the hall to talk to the guards on call. Roxas walked into the room and over to the chair beside the bed, easing himself down with a groan. Namine jumped onto the bed beside him, kicking her feet and watching Roxas. Her silent treatment never lasted long, but it could make the next few days awkward, since he’d more or less be stranded out in suburbia unless she took pity on him and drove him somewhere.

Ven glanced up as he saw them sit down, then did a double-take, frowning at Roxas and getting to his feet. He was stiff, and Aerith would probably yell at him for getting up without a walker or cane to help him, but he was also stubborn, and he made his way over to the chair in a slow, determined step. He reached down to touch the split lip, but Roxas batted his hand away.

“Before you ask, I’m fine, and _no,_ I don’t want to talk about it. It’s been a shitty couple of hours and I’m not really interested in reliving it again.” Ven looked over at Namine, who shrugged.

“Roxas got beaten up and his ex-boyfriend swept in to save him and now he’s feeling sorry for himself because he’s still not over him and the feeling is mutual but they’re both too stupid and stubborn to admit it.” She hopped off the bed and took out her phone, checking the messages and tapping in a response. “Roxas, my grandfather wants me to call and let him know what’s going on, I’ll be outside with Reno when you’re ready to go.”

And apparently silent treatment was over. He nodded and gave her a weak wave goodbye, pointedly not looking at Ven. Ven took the spot on the bed Namine’d just left, then leaned over to look his little brother in the eye.

“Well, that little revelation explains a lot...,” he said. When that didn’t get a response, he asked “You...want to talk about it?” Roxas glared at him, and Ven sighed, leaving it at that. Instead, he gestured over to the desk.

“We have a problem,” he admitted, and while it was difficult to pinpoint emotions through his raspy voice, it sounded like he’d had a bit of a shitty day, too. Of _course_ he’d had a rough day, he’d had another MAKO infusion today, so the fact that he was actually still able to talk was a wonder.

Roxas sighed and slouched even more in the chair. Big mistake. The bruised rib was having none of that, and sent a bolt of pain up his side. He flinched into a straighter position, speaking a little more harshly then he’d meant.

“Of course we do,” he snapped. “What is it this time? Can we even _talk_ about this? I thought the reason you never admitted anything was because you couldn’t remember.”

“It’s more difficult to squash bugs in this sort of environment, but we took care of it,” Zexion answered for Ven. “And the operation may be compromised if we delay action much longer. We have a day, maybe two at most.”

“I was hoping I wouldn’t have to get you involved,” Ven admitted. “I was hoping that the stuff I’d dug up had already gotten to where they needed to go, and failing that, that I’d be able to heal up fast enough for the final sprint. I can’t.”

He pulled down the collar of his shirt, revealing the scars and burns still running along his neck, skin that still hadn’t healed, despite the MAKO treatments. The injuries that made him barely able to speak above a whisper, despite speech therapy and breathing exercises. They were better, yes, but they were a constant reminder of everything that had happened, and of how much he still couldn’t do.

“I’m unable to access my account,” Ven admitted, pulling the collar back up. “It’s got two factor identification, and the application we need to run is voice activated. TRON doesn’t recognize my voice any more, and I don’t have access to the program files on the server to overwrite the function.”

He shook his head, as though trying to clear it. “I can’t _focus_ long enough to code it in. There was another round of injections this afternoon, and stuff is just… slipping away. I have another hour or two at best and then I’m gonna be out.”

Roxas shifted uncomfortably. “So, what, you’re giving me more admin rights?”

“I’m giving you _everything_ ,” Ven corrected. He sighed, rubbing his eyes to ease away a headache before he continued. “You’re already in the system, and Zee can raise your permissions, basically turn your account into a clone of mine. There was a reason why we went with Repeat.”

He pointed to the computer screen where TRON stood idling, hands on hips, although he waved when he noticed that they were looking at him. Ven sighed, then turned his attention back to Roxas.

“Zee showed me what you built—it’s perfect. The coding is a little sloppy in parts, but it will work.” He smiled, patting Roxas’ shoulder. “Just do what Zee says and you’ll be good.”

“Didn’t I already give you everything you need?” Roxas asked, but the man didn’t even look up from his keyboard.

“As your brother explained, we need your voice to unlock the program and to initiate the file transfer,” Zexion replied, his fingers continuing their rapid tapping. “And we’ll need to be onsite to access it. It should be a quick thing, an hour, maybe two, tops.”

Roxas frowned, then turned back to Ven, who was staring at TRON again, expression unreadable.

“I don’t get why you didn’t just collect everything from the start,” Roxas complained. “Wouldn’t that have saved you from having to extract stuff from your own servers?”

Ven didn’t answer, but Zexion looked up, fingers stilling in midair. “We’d only just _implemented_ it before your brother found out about the ambush—it’s been running ever since, running silently through the system and stockpiling what it found. But we can’t access those databases until Ven gives it the all clear—or rather, until you trick the system.”

“So what’s this catchphrase I need to say to unlock this thing?” he asked, then frowned as Ven continued to stare at TRON. He reached up and touched his brother lightly on the shoulder, startling him as though he’d broken into a trance. Ven blinked, then smiled.

“Hey, Roxas,” he said, voice vague and distracted. He looked back over to the desk. “Is that your computer?”

Roxas’ heart sank. He’d known that this happened, Ven losing a conversation halfway through, especially after the initial MAKO high from the treatments started to wear off, but he’d never actually been there to experience it. Zexion sighed and reached over to close the computer, packing it up so that Roxas could take it back with him. Ven frowned, then looked back at Roxas.

“Were you doing schoolwork again?”

“Something like that,” he mumbled, wondering if it’d be possible to just have them wheel in another cot or something so he could crash right here. It was too much—first the excitement from yesterday, the attack that evening, seeing Axel again, and now being told he was going to have to do some sort of weird infiltration attack that required physical relocation—it was too much.

Still, he smiled at Ven, knowing his brother would still be able to help him, even if he didn’t remember the conversation from five minutes ago. It was all in how you approached the subject.

“Yeah, anyway, I’m doing this project for school and I came across this file of yours, looks like it’s pictures of the three of us here in town. I tried to access it, but it keeps telling me I need a password. Do you remember it?”

Ven frowned, looking at the computer again, then back at his brother. “If I have it password protected it’s probably not pictures of the three of us.”

“No, I know there’s one in there, I can see the thumbnail,” Roxas lied, _really_ hoping that it wasn’t some weird folder full of porn or something. He kept his voice cheerful, hoping Ven could still get him the information he needed. “It’s one where we’re all standing in the shopping area, you know, I think you’d just been given some sort of reward or something and we were celebrating. You remember?”

Ven nodded, slight smile on his face. “It was a good day.”

“Do you remember the password to get into the folder?”

The smile disappeared. “I keep that picture to remind me of the night we lost them. It helps me remember.”

“Remember what?” Roxas pressed, hoping it would be enough to get the passcode.

“Remember how I felt that night, before I realized you two were ok. That we were all gonna be ok.”

“How you felt?” Roxas prompted, and Ven nodded, expression growing sad.

“Alone.”

\- - -

The ride to his place was tense, Roxas mulling over everything his brother had unloaded on him, and Namine reverting back to the silent treatment—or maybe she just didn’t want to talk in front of Reno, which was understandable. Despite being Axel’s brother, Roxas didn’t really know much about him other than he was a couple of years older than his brother, and that he’d been assigned to the Lux family case file ten years ago.

The visit to his place was even shorter. The apartment _had_ been tossed, but most of the stuff was unbroken, just laying on the floor. His laptop and a couple of other electronics seemed to be missing, but other than that the place was in better condition that he’d anticipated. He was still happy to grab some things and get out of there, though—it felt weird being in there after such an obvious violation of privacy.

And he was no stranger to Namine’s sofa bed. Since she’s already talked to her grandfather, he’d had one of the staff had made up the bed, and there was even a note on the table letting them know there were snacks in the fridge. After Reno confirmed that the place seemed secure and promising to ‘take care of things’ he left the two of them with a promise that he’d meet up with them the next day.

Namine still looked like she wanted to talk, but Roxas begged exhaustion, so she simply wished him goodnight and left him to it. He meant to stay awake, to think over everything that had happened and what was _about_ to happen, but he didn’t last more than five minutes before he fell into deep, unsettled sleep.

Reno returned bright and early the next morning with a new phone for Roxas and a stack of NDA papers for Namine. She took them without comment, and while she sat down to review and fill them out in her studio, Roxas and Reno sat in the living room.

“So…. You and my brother? What’s that about?”

Roxas closed his eyes in an attempt to send Namine a mental plea for help, or to at least hurry up the process. That didn’t help though, because if he closed his eyes while Reno was talking it sounded like Axel was there, trying to make uncomfortable chitchat, and that was worse than getting a “big brother talk.”

“You have a problem with it?” Roxas asked instead, and Reno held up his hands in mock surrender, leaning back into the cushy chair.

“Chill, I’m just asking. It’s just… surprising, I guess.” When Roxas didn’t rise to the bait, he gestured to the room at large. “I guess I just don’t get why you’d slum around with someone like him when you’ve got friends like Wiseman.”

Roxas squinted at him. “Are you… asking me to talk up your little brother? Why would you even ask me that?”

“I’m not, I’m just—”

“I don’t have to justify my feelings for Axel to _you_ , and it’s kinda shitty to talk down your own brother,” Roxas interrupted, and kept on talking. “Slum around? Namine is a childhood friend, we bonded over a dorky picture she drew back in kindergarten and we’ve hung out ever since. I like Axel because he’s amazing. He’s smart, he’s funny, he’s kind and caring, he’s super talented and hardworking, and he’s generous in everything he does. I’d be an idiot to _not_ like him, and you’re kinda a dick for asking.”

If Namine had been in the room she probably would have yelled at him for being so rude, but Reno just laughed.

“Well, I can see why he likes _you_ ,” was all he said. Roxas thought they’d be able to stop the conversation there, but Reno wasn’t quite done. “You’re right, it’s none of my business, not really, but I guess what I’m getting at is don’t read too much into his mood last night. He’s pissed off, yeah, but he’ll come around.”

Roxas wanted to stay silent, wanted to pretend that he didn’t care what Reno thought, really, but…. “What makes you so sure?”

Reno smiled, that same, shit-eating grin Axel got when he was about to say an obnoxious pun or attempt to do something _really_ stupid just to get a rise out of Roxas.

“You’re the first breakup I’ve ever had to talk him through, and that’s including Rose,” he said, then he jumped to his feet, holding out a hand to take the papers from Namine as she came into the room. “All set?”

“I feel like I should be signing another paper every time I open my mouth,” she said. “But yes, they should be good to go. Do we need to do anything else?”

Reno pocketed the papers and straightened his jacket, which probably would’ve looked more official if he’d actually been wearing the Turk uniform’s tie, too. He gave them a two fingered salute. “Nah, just don’t leave town and call us if you plan to take wonder boy into town.”

“Hey!”

“We’ll do that,” Namine replied, ignoring Roxas’ complaint. “Agent Cissnei, right?”

“Yep,” Reno gave Roxas a meaningful look. “Think about what I said, yeah? Later.”

As Reno headed off to do god-knew what, they headed back to the living room to regroup. Namine didn’t bother asking him what he was planning even though she technically had signed the same waivers he’d had in his contract with Aqua and the Internal Affairs department. Instead, she handed him a stack of towels and promised to have breakfast and a bottle of painkillers ready for him when he got out.

He knew he probably looked bad, and confirmed it when he shut himself in the bathroom—he looked worse than he felt, honestly, with a lovely shiner deepening around his eye and bruising around his nose and split lip. When he took off his shirt, the bruising continued along his ribs and across his hips. Even _with_ painkillers he’d be walking like Ven for days.

He spent a glorious 30 minutes soaking in the heat of the shower, and, true to her promise, Namine had waffles and painkillers waiting for him. Then she ordered him back into bed, where he spent the rest of the afternoon in and out of sleep.

That evening, she’d woken him up with an icepack to the face, and a “Good, you’re awake!” when he gave a startled cry. As he shifted up into a sitting position, she sat on the chair across from him, back straight and hands folded in her lap. Roxas _knew_ that look, and braced for the lecture.

“Now that you’ve had some time to think over things—”

“I’ve been _asleep_ —”

“I hope you realize that Demyx was right, the two of you need to talk,” she said, clearly not in a mood to allow for arguments. “Not just because this stupid fight has had both of you miserable for more than a month now, but because your actions are starting to bring more people into this whole thing, and while you know that I love you, I am _not_ happy that I had to start my morning by signing 50 pages of nondisclosure agreements.”

“I didn’t mean for any of that to happen,” he said, flinching at how pathetic that sounded. Namine sighed, and some of the tension eased out of her posture.

“I know you didn’t, but it still happened and frankly I’m more worried about what the documents implied _might_ happen if something slipped before whatever your big operation that’s supposed to happen happens.”

“It’s gonna be over really soon, like… end of this week soon, probably,” he said, wishing he actually had a more exact date to alleviate her fears. “And all I’m doing is opening up some programs to copy some files, and then I’m leaving it to the professionals.”

“Be that as it may, now that I’m hearing the whole side of the story, I’m starting to appreciate why Axel’s been so angry at you.”

That hurt, but she reached over to pat his hand to soften the blow a little. He swallowed around the lump in his throat, terrified to think what he’d do if he lost Namine over this, too. “I _know_ , I’ve been trying to get him to talk to me—”

“And I’m telling you that it’s time to stop whining and start doing,” she said, cutting him off. “You didn’t see him in the bar when he figured out that you were in trouble. You didn’t see his expression, didn’t hear his voice. I did. Call him. I already put his number in for you and I forwarded your new one to him and Demyx so I know he has it.” she said, then pressed the phone back into his hands.

He stared down at it, unable to say anything, so she continued, forcing a little more cheer into her voice.

“Anyway, I promised Olette a girl’s night out ages ago and I’m not going to cancel, so I’m gonna be out for most of the evening. But I want you to promise me that you’ll call him, or at least text him to set up a time to talk. Promise me,” she said, and he nodded, tucking the phone into his pocket.

Still, she seemed satisfied enough for now. She gave him a critical look, then reached up to tentatively touch his lip. He winced, but Demyx had done good work, and the cuts and bruises were already starting to fade. She tutted, then reached into her bag.

“Agent Cissnei wanted you to check in at the hospital tonight, but I think I can help with this before we go out.”

“You’re _not_ putting makeup on me,” he balked, and she just raised an eyebrow.

“It’s concealer and you’ll get fewer looks with a little bit of makeup than you would with a green eye and split lip,” she said, pulling out the bottle and guiding him towards the bathroom. “Besides, this is Axel’s favorite brand, which apparently he stole from Demyx, so it’s not like you’ve never met a guy who’s not afraid to wear product.”

“...Axel wears makeup?”

“With all the soulful gazing, you should’ve noticed his eyes. The man’s wings are always _en pointe_ ,” she said, tilting his head up to pat the liquid under his eye. “But I guess that makes sense, since he’s got a lot of experience drawing really precise stuff on skin.”

“...I don’t know what that means,” he admitted, but relaxed a little as she gently worked to cover up evidence of Xigbar’s attack. “His eyes are super green because he wears contacts, though. When he takes them out they’re a softer grey color.”

“Oh Roxas, you romantic soul,” she giggled, then stood back to admire her work. She gave a quick nod, then pressed the bottle into his hand. “You’ll do. Here, keep this and reapply as needed. C’mon, let’s head out.”

He hugged her, then, tight and “Namine… Thanks. For, y’know. Everything,” he said, knowing it wasn’t enough but not knowing what to say. She got it, though. She hugged him back, tight and unhesitating.

“I love you too, you big dummy.”

\- - -

She dropped him off at the hospital like she’d promised, Cissnei meeting him at the front to take over as official babysitter. But he felt _restless_ , the phone sitting heavy in his pocket, and Ven wasn’t really responsive to anything, still too dazed by the MAKO treatment to hold a conversation. He was back out in the late afternoon sun not long after that, taking the trolley up to Sunset Terrace to walk along the promenade. Cissnei trailed a little behind him, willing to leave him to his thoughts, so long as he stayed in sight.

Roxas stared at the phone, weighing Namine’s words, and everything that Zexion had said. Aqua had warned him, of course, that he could end up isolated, that it could be dangerous, and that he could put friends and family at risk. At the very beginning, before he’d volunteered, before he’d chased the clues down the rabbit hole, before he’d really thought there was anyone to risk. _Before he’d met Axel_.

Axel was right. He’d been reckless, putting everyone in danger, but he’d been so intent on figuring out what had happened, who had hurt his brother, that no cost had seemed too great to uncover the truth. Ven needed him, and he had no one else.

But Namine had been there. And Hayner, Pence, and Olette. Xion was a plane ticket away, and Sora, Riku, and Kairi would come, too. He’d become familiar with Xaldin and Lexaeus, and hazarded to label an almost friendship with Zexion. And there’d been Demyx, too, and Aerith and Cloud and Squall.

But it had taken Axel to make him realize that he hadn’t been alone after all. That he’d been surrounded by people who would’ve helped him if he’d asked. He’d been so caught up in keeping it together, keeping things safe and sound that he never realized that he hadn’t let any of them into his life, and he’d kept them at a distance, unwilling to let them get through.

And when he’d met Axel, and the cracks started to appear, chunks of his shell chipping away, breaking down the barrier he’d kept around his heart to stay safe. The emotional armor was still there, in bits and pieces anyway-- a part of him would always keep things to himself, it was in his nature. And he’d fought it, fearing the worst. Letting others in meant that you became vulnerable. The only thing that terrified him more than letting others in was ending up alone.

But… Axel had shown him. Letting people slip through the cracks in your armor meant that the _good_ stuff got in, too. And Axel had been just that-- a shining beacon that had cut through the darkness he’d used as a refuge against everything that happened. He hadn’t realized how dark and dismal his life had become until Axel had come into his life to illuminate all the good things in it, too.

He collapsed onto one of the benches and stared out over the overlook, not really seeing the view, but somehow unwilling to keep going another step without taking a chance. He took a deep breath, let it out slowly, then turned on the phone and dialed, swallowing his pride and not really knowing what he would say, but knowing that he had to say _something_.

Axel didn’t pick up.

Roxas… hadn’t actually planned what he would do in this situation, and the friendly “leave a message” and following beep had him floundering for words. He fumbled the phone and scrambled to hold it, curling over it and trying to piece together something to say that would encompass everything he thought and felt. What came out was bordering on unintelligible, though.

“What? Shit! Um.. hey. Hey…. If you’re there pick up. ….Ok, I guess you’re not taking my calls and you’re still not talking to me, so whatever. I don’t usually leave messages but I’m, um, meeting up with Anna and her friends soon and I don’t know what’s gonna happen after that, but I wanted to… god, I don’t know. We tried the talking thing and that didn’t help since neither of us are willing to move on this. But I guess I just wanted to let you know in case… you know. I mean, if you’re right I won’t be around to say ‘I told you so’ but I figured you’d want another chance to say it before, um, stuff. I guess I wanted to tell you...ugh, dammit, this would be a lot easier if you actually picked up the damn phone.”

“Whatever you have to say to me, you can say it to my face.”

Roxas jumped, startled from the call, and he looked up to see Axel heading in his direction. The bruises on Axel’s face had mostly faded (was he wearing concealer, too?) but Roxas still felt an uneasy quaver run through his stomach. Axel had gotten those because of _him_.

He clicked off the phone, then slid over to make room on the bench. Axel hesitated a moment, frown pulling at his split lip, but he sat down anyway. He stuck his hands in his jacket and gingerly leaned against the hard wooden back of the bench.

Roxas swallowed. “Hey.”

“Hey yourself,” Axel replied. He opened his mouth to go on, caught himself, and pursed his lips, clearly biting his tongue and not wanting to start fighting right off the bat.

Roxas tried not to flinch, feeling the quiet reprimand in Axel’s stiff posture and tight expression. This was a start, he knew, but now that Axel was actually here and talking-- or at least, willing to listen-- Roxas found that he couldn’t actually look at him. He settled on staring out over the valley instead, leaning forward on his knees so he could put a little more distance between them.

“I dunno how much of that you actually heard…” he said, and heard the quiet snort of laughter from behind him.

“I heard most of it, I think,” Axel said, voice flat. “Why did you call if you know neither of us aren’t going to change our minds on this?”

Roxas looked over his shoulder, frowning at Axel’s deadpan expression. Well, not quite-- he was irritated, clearly still sore, but he also seemed resigned, checked out, and tired. So, so tired.

“I am scared, you know,” he admitted, turning his attention back to the magnificent view but not really seeing it. “Not just for me, or Ven, or my friends and family. If this is half as big as Ven says, it means that _everyone_ in Radiant Gardens will be affected.”

“And you’ve just gotta be the white knight who swoops in to save everyone? It’s gotta be you?” Axel asked, voice sharp.

Roxas shook his head, sitting up and turning back to face him. “Axel, I’ve been training for this for three years” he said. “I’ve always known that there might be some danger to the job-- even if I’m stuck behind a computer for most of the day, I’ll still be an officer. Seeing all the crap that Ven went through, knowing what we know about the agency… it _needs_ people who are willing to make things right again.”

“You could get yourself killed,” Axel said, but his voice had lost its edge, and some of the pain had bled through. Roxas felt like shit, knowing that, once again, he’d managed to hurt the person who meant so much to him.

“I’m providing technical support, that’s all,” he promised, although he knew that was little reassurance, given the attack. “All I’m doing is going in and pulling files. Then we’re leaving so we can decrypt them from behind the safety of a shit ton of legal bricks, built into a wall that’s lined with red tape and lawyers. My primary purpose on the mission is just to make some noise so Aqua and Terra can get in there and grab what they need, and part of that’s already done.”

Axel sighed, leaning back against the bench and staring up at the sky. They sat there for a few minutes in silence, not their usual, comfortable silence of lazy afternoons and quiet mornings, but the tension seemed to have broken a bit. Roxas wondered if they’d ever get that back, that quiet, peaceful tranquility. When all of this was done and over, what would be left? What would he go back to, when he helped finish what Ven had started?

“So what did you want to tell me?” Axel asked, breaking the quiet at last. He pulled out a pack of cigarettes and lit one, inhaling deep and then blowing out the smoke towards the horizon. He sounded resigned, like he already knew he didn’t want to hear whatever Roxas had to say, but that it was easier to just get it over with than it was to keep ignoring it. Roxas ducked his head, unwilling to risk a look at him.

“That I miss you,” admitted Roxas. “That I didn’t realize how much better you’ve made my life until you weren’t in it anymore. That I’m sorry I didn’t tell you everything, but that I wanted to try to keep you out of it for as long as possible. That I can’t promise that I won’t end up in dangerous situations again because I want to keep this city safe. That the thought of you getting hurt when I could’ve done something to stop it keeps me up at night. That… I didn’t know if I would have a chance to see you again if the operation goes south, and if I would get a chance to say goodbye.”

Axel didn’t say anything. They sat there, both lost in their own thoughts, Roxas raising his head enough to look out over the city. He’d been right; off in the distance, he could see the sea.

“How did you find me, anyway?” he asked at last, exhausted and unable to stand the silence any more. Part of him felt like just getting up and walking away, because it would be easier to just _go_ and not have to see the disappointment and anger in Axel’s face again. The other part of him wanted to ask Axel’s forgiveness, to tell him that he’d never do it again, that he loved him, that he would never do something to willfully keep him in the dark.

Apathy and exhaustion won out and he just sat there, staring off into the late afternoon haze that shimmered over Radiant Gardens. If he didn’t feel so shitty, it would’ve been pretty.

“I asked Namine where you’d go if there was any place you’d go to be alone. She said up here.”

“Well, she’s wrong. I don’t come up here that often.”

Axel gave him a look. “I did find you, you know.”

Roxas shrugged, still watching the city, unwilling to look at Axel.

“When we were young, this place used to be a park with fields and all kinds of big rocks and stuff to climb on. Our folks used to bring us up here for picnics and to play. The city eventually decided to build all the posh places up here because it was a million-dollar view, but I still come up here sometimes because it’s still pretty quiet, and it’s easier to remember my folks up here than it is down--- in the downtown area.”

“You think they would tell you to stop this?” Axel asked, voice quiet. Roxas laughed, despite himself.

“I was twelve when they died,” he said. “I was only just starting to pay attention to stuff, and I only knew them as Mom and Dad, not as people. I didn’t even really know their names until the funeral. I know it sounds awful, but Ven was more of a parent to me growing up, even when we were living with Sora’s family. I already know how Ven feels about it. I don’t know what they would think. I’d like to think they’d support me, but I don’t know.”

“Were you really going to do this without talking to me again?”

“You weren’t picking up your phone,” retorted Roxas. “And… I wasn’t sure if I could talk to you face-to-face. I didn’t want to fight again.”

“I don’t want to fight anymore, either,” Axel admitted. Roxas looked up, and Axel gave him a wry smile. “Oh, I’m still pissed off and scared for you and not really sure how the hell you got so tangled up in this mess, but I miss you too. And you’re right, I don’t have a say over what you do since it’s your life, but I don’t want you to think that you’re in this alone. I can’t--” he broke off, trying to figure out the best way to express what he felt without starting another fight.

He tried again. “I can’t let you go off into danger thinking that you don’t have anything or anyone waiting for you to come back because then you’ll be stupid and reckless and get yourself killed out of carelessness. You’ve gotta come back so we can talk stuff out. You should probably talk to professionals, to, I dunno, help you sort shit out. You’ve....” He took a deep breath. “You’ve gotta come back.”

“So you can keep yelling at me about all the bad decisions I’m making in my life?” Roxas asked, although he didn’t have the energy to add any bitterness to his reply.

“So we can talk about things we can do _together_ to help you avoid stupid decisions moving forward,” corrected Axel. He reached out, hand hovering, then gently put it on Roxas’ shoulder. “I get it. You wanna be a cop. You wanna fight the bad guys and save the city and stuff. I want you to come back safe, is that so much to ask?”

Roxas huffed out a laugh, knocking Axel’s hand off his shoulder so he could lean in for a hug. Axel pulled him in against his chest, and Roxas felt some of the tension around his heart ease. After a few minutes, he shifted his position, pulling back so he could look up at Axel’s face.

“Since when did you start smoking, anyway?”

“I quit a couple of years ago when Dem moved in. He’s always on my ass about being healthy and shit,” Axel said. He ground the cigarette out with the heel of his boot, as though emphasizing the point. “I bummed a pack off Saix after…. You know.”

“They can kill you, you know,” said Roxas. Axel laughed, flicking it to the ground and grinding it out.

“Not to be overly dramatic or anything, but I think you’ll probably be the death of me.”

“Don’t even joke about that,” Roxas whispered, going white. “You’ve already gotten hurt because of me, and I hate myself for putting you through that.”

“Then be smart, and get your shit straightened out and when it’s all said and done… come find me.”

“If I call you, will you pick up the damn phone?” Roxas asked, and Axel laughed.

“Yeah, I’ll be waiting.”

“I’ve got a new number,” Roxas warned, but Axel only grinned.

“Got it memorized already.”

They talked a bit more. Nothing earth-shattering, and there was still the awkward tension between them as they caught each other up on what had been going on, but Roxas felt the return of some of that warm, inner content as Axel actually laughed a couple of times.

They talked until the street lights came on and the sun dipped below the city horizon. It was time to go. He knew it, but Axel was _talking_ to him again and he’d already agreed to talk some more to figure stuff out. He _wanted_ to figure stuff out. He _wanted_ to work it out with Roxas.

Cissnei hadn’t interrupted—she’d just found a nearby bench to sit and wait—but when he looked in her direction, she tapped her watch in a ‘hurry it up’ motion. Axel caught the gesture, too, and stood, hands stuck in his jacket pockets. Roxas stood as well, wishing they could linger just a little longer, knowing they couldn’t have that time until he’d seen the project through to the end.

“So… I guess I’ll call,” he said, and Axel nodded, toeing a rock in the gravel.

“I’ll be waiting,” Axel repeated. He hesitated, then—“Oh, c’mere.”

Axel hugged him, warm and solid and _god_ he’d missed this. Roxas returned the embrace, maybe holding on a little tighter than he should have, but Axel didn’t say anything about it. It’d probably be best to laugh it off, try to underplay how much he’d missed Axel’s hugs and just talking to him and being near him again.

“You smell like cigarettes,” Roxas complained, then, before his brain could catch up with his heart—“I bet you taste like them, too.”

He reached up and pulled Axel down for a kiss even as his brain caught up and was yelling at him not to push it because Axel was still pissed off at him, and also Axel was so fucking _tall_ how had he forgotten that, and he probably should stop and step away but Axel wasn’t complaining, wasn’t trying to stop him.

When they finally broke apart, Axel looked down at him with a guarded expression.

“Well?”

Roxas stepped back, his brain yelling at him for messing everything up and making Axel pissed off at him less than an hour after they’d finally started to agree to patch stuff up.

“S-sorry, I shouldn’t’ve, I know you’re still, so I shouldn’t’ve—”

“Do I taste like cigarettes?” Axel asked, a fond smile on his face. He could probably hear Roxas’ mental tirade about how stupid he was.

“Oh!” Roxas flushed, melting a little under that smile. If he melted away in embarrassment, that might be ok, too. “Yeah, you do. You should probably get some gum or something. Or, you know, stop smoking.”

“I’ll take that into consideration for our next talk,” Axel said, stepping back and zipping up his jacket. “I’ll catch you later.”

“Yeah, I’ll call,” Roxas repeated, not caring that he sounded like and idiot and probably looked like one too, but when he finally turned back to meet up with Cissnei, he was smiling.

The smile faded when she showed him her phone, a simple message on its screen.

 

> _Bring R to chkpnt; mssn strts @ 2100 hrs._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Title is the theme of KH3, and I may or may not have listened to it on repeat for like... six hours this weekend while I finished this chapter. It's perfect for these two, even if canonically it's about Sora and Riku.


	18. Byte Bashing

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: In the next three chapters, I invite you all to suspend belief and pretend that coding and computers really do function like this (magic), and that I have a firm grasp on how network security and encryption and everything techy works. 
> 
> In all seriousness, though, HUGE shout out to myaami for talking me through this all those months ago and helping me modify my original plot to make it more feasible (as much as one can make such a scenario feasible when you’re working with TRON, anyway). Any and all inaccuracies in how the computer stuff goes down is me derping out and making stuff up as I go instead of following the advice of Someone Who Knows What They’re Talking About™. 
> 
> ALSO. YOU GUYS. The lovely CorvidFeathers made fanart for HTLGI and I am so blown away-- my first fanart of one of my fics, and she drew a sexy Axel, complete with _Heartless shirt!_ <3 <3 <3 [**Check it out!!**](https://bit.ly/2tRoqRs)

The safe house looked pretty derelict on the outside, not so much falling apart but definitely falling into the ‘hasn’t seen any exterior home improvements in the last 20 years’ category. Still, it was in a section of town that was just well off enough that cops weren’t going to patrol the area on foot or by car, but just run down enough that if a call _did_ come in it was more likely to be because someone smashed in a car window and cops wouldn’t have to rush to attend anything like that.

Roxas only realized they were in the right place because Reno was lounging on the front porch smoking a cigarette, hanging out with a large, vaguely-familiar looking muscley bald man wearing sunglasses, despite the darkness. Cissnei greeted them both as they made their way up the steps and into the house, and Roxas paused inside the door to take a look around.

The interior, at least, had more promise. He could hear the low chatter of people hard at work, and the click of keyboards and quiet whir of computer fans. Cissnei lead him into what had probably been a living room at one point but now looked like an impromptu command center, complete with what had to be a server stuffed into the fireplace. The rigs seemed decent enough, if a bit cramped in the haphazard layout, and some of the faces were vaguely familiar-- more Turks then, or maybe people he’d met in passing when seeing Ven at the station.

Their entrance didn’t cause much of a stir, just a few quick glances before people were back at their computers, hard at work doing… something. He wasn’t sure what there even _was_ to do at this point, given everything had been preloaded and prepared days ago. Hopefully whatever finishing touches in the code Ven had managed yesterday would do what they needed to it-- maybe that’s what they were there for, patching up and tidying lines into more efficient functions.

He spotted Aqua’s blue hair first, and a moment later he realized the recognized another familiar face beside her. Terra stood up straight and nodded at him as they approached, dismissing Cissnei and turning to face Roxas. He tilted his head to the side as if in thought, not saying anything as he frowned down at the blond.

Roxas liked Terra, but it had always been in bit along the lines of ‘he’s inspiring in a terrifying kind of way so maybe don’t do anything to get his attention.’ It might’ve been because Ven had talked the man up so much, but Roxas thought it more likely because the man stood a good foot and a half higher than him, all compact muscle and intense focus. And with that focus turned on him, he felt even smaller than normal. But then Terra smiled, clapping him on the shoulder and giving it a quick squeeze.

“I thought I was looking at Ven for a minute,” he said, laughing a bit as Roxas jumped in surprise. “You’ve grown since I last saw you.”

“I’m not _that_ young,” Roxas complained, but there wasn’t any heat in it. He was just grateful that Terra had clapped him on his right shoulder and not the left, which was still tender from Stupid’s abuses the night before. “It’s, um, good to see you again.”

“Likewise,” Terra replied, then frowned, reaching forward to tilt Roxas’ head to the side. “You sure you’re up for this? That looks like it hurt.”

“I don’t think I really have a choice. We tried the whole voice recording thing and TRON just about threw a hissy fit saying it wasn’t good enough,” Roxas said, wondering if he looked so bad that he should try to find a bathroom to reapply the concealer Namine had given him. But Axel hadn’t said anything, and Cissnei didn’t seem all that bothered, so if he stayed out of bright lights he’d probably be ok. “I’ll be fine. All I have to do is enter the passcodes and speak when prompted, right? Maybe open some files to make sure we’re getting the right stuff?”

“In an ideal situation, yes,” Aqua replied, getting up from her console and joining them. “Follow me.”

She lead them up the stairs to one of the bedrooms that had been converted into what looked like a storage closet. She gestured for Roxas to wait as she pulled out a box from one of the racks and began sorting through it. Terra leaned in the doorway, and Roxas, not really sure what else to do, just stood in the middle of the room.

“We’ll have people getting into position all over the city to help make some noise,” she said. She pulled out what looked like a heavy jacket, frowned, then selected a smaller one to hold up against him. “I’m hoping that it’s enough to cover our tracks so that all you have to do is initiate the transfer sequence and then you can spend the duration of the operation reading or playing games on your phone.” She paused, a small smile on her lips. “Probably best if they’re offline.”

“It still helps to be prepared, just in case,” said Terra. “Which is why we’re fitting you with gear.”

“You’re giving me armor?” Roxas asked, looking more closely at the jacket Aqua had laid out on the bed. It _did_ look bulky, but in more of a ‘super fluffy windbreaker’ kind of way. It didn’t look like the typical military or police gear he was used to seeing.

“Just a precaution,” Aqua said, holding it up for him.

He took the offered jacket and tried it on, surprised by the weight. It was actually a two-piece bit of attire, the actual armor being a series of plates sewn into a separate lining. He plucked at the fluffy layer overtop, looking between Aqua and Terra.

“Do I have to wear this part?”

Terra shrugged. “You’ve got the hoodie, that should cover things up. You just don’t wanna broadcast that you’re wearing gear when we head out.”

“You’re coming with us?” he asked. He’d figured Terra would keep running operations from here, given that that’s what he’d been doing from the beginning, even before Ven had gotten mixed up in everything. Terra smiled, taking the overly fluffy outer coat from him and hanging it back up in one of the storage units.

“I’ll be heading one of the teams, yeah,” Terra said. “But you’ll be with Aqua.”

Roxas looked back to Aqua, who smiled and reached over to brush down the jacket. She adjusted the armor, tightening straps and shifting the plated sections so they fit snugly against him. Then, she helped him put the hoodie over the whole thing, smoothing down the fabric so that it covered the dark armor beneath. Given the chance, she’d probably wrap him in bubble-wrap and then tack it down with duct tape, the way she fussed. Still, they’d already seen what lengths Xigbar and his goons were willing to go to, so he was willing to trade comfort for safety. He’d made a promise to Axel, after all.

When she finally finished making her adjustments, Aqua stepped back and gave him an approving nod. “One more thing. Hold out your hand,” she said, reaching out to take his hand in hers.

“Ok?”

“Here.” She pressed a softly glowing pin into his hand, so hard that he could feel the point dig into his palm, drawing blood. He yelped and reflexively opened his fingers to drop it, but then there was a sudden weight in his hand, metal warming to his touch and prickling along his skin in places where it touched veins of MAKO green crystal.

A keyblade.

She’d handed him a Mark of Mastery pin and he’d managed to manifest an actual, fully-formed keyblade, complete with dangling charm and golden hand guard. It was a bit on the short side, plainer than the ones he’d seen on parade during Academy gatherings, and it felt light, only slightly heavier than the foils he used to spar with Cloud, but it was solid and sang through the air as he stepped back to cut an arc in the tight space. It left a slightly luminescent trail, what looked suspiciously like green glitter falling in the wake of its path, but the MAKO was warm to his touch, the metal of the blade cool and untarnished.

It was beautiful. It was a dream come true, something he’d aspired for since before he’d first joined the Academy. It was something he’d imagined when he picked up the wooden practice blades to drill positions and strikes and defense. It was….

“This is illegal,” he said, coming back to his senses and releasing his hold on the grip. The blade melted away in a shower of shimmering green light, and the pin gave off a slight flash before receding to the gentle green glow again. He held out the medal to Aqua, trying not to think about how natural it’d felt in his hand, and how much brighter things looked when he was in contact with the crystal.

“No one is supposed to have access to this tech without going through the proper precautions and tests,” he said, although he sounded less than convinced. “There are rules in place to prevent misuse of the tech and possible dangers to the wielder. You were part of the investigation that cracked down on medal production for _exactly_ that purpose.”

Despite his complaint, Aqua reached out and closed his fingers around it again, a smile on her face.

“I’m also one of the Masters who decides which candidates might have what it takes to wear the mark,” she said, pressing his hand back until it rested above his heart.

“You already passed the early trials by getting into the Academy itself; your studies and exercises with Strife show that you have an aptitude for the skills necessary to wield a blade, and your work with me over the last few months has proven that you have the dedication necessary for keyblade mastery.” She smiled, and he felt a weight begin to slide off his shoulders as she spoke.

“Ven always tested high for MAKO sensitivity-- his rapid recovery is evidence enough of that-- and your ability to create a blade without instruction proves that you probably have that sensitivity, too. Everyone has the potential to become a keyblade master, but for some of us, it’s a little easier to pick up.” She held out her hand and an elegant blade flickered into focus, a multi-pronged weapon that seemed more mythril than MAKO, and she tilted it this way and that before dropping her hand and letting it fade away.

“Everyone has the potential, but not everyone becomes a wielder. You don’t have to make that choice right now, but for my own peace of mind, please carry it with you tonight,” she said, putting her hand on his shoulder. “I want to make sure you have something to protect yourself, just in case. I promised Ven I would keep you safe.”

Roxas held out his arm and activated the blade again, the warm weight sitting comfortably in his grip. He peered down at the blade in his hand for several minutes, then loosened his grip, willing the thing to disappear. The blade melted away as though it had never been there, and he was left staring at the medal in his palm. He closed his fingers around it until he had a fist.

“This is my brother’s, isn’t it,” he asked, not sure _why_ he thought that, but it _felt_ like Ven, somehow. Terra nodded, confirming it.

“Ven was already on track to be one of the next members recruited, we’d just delayed the announcement because he was so busy at work,” Terra said, and there was a hint of regret as he went on, “I’m not sure if him taking the blade is such a good idea now, what with everything that’s happened.”

“My brother risked his _life_ for you,” said Roxas, hand clenching around the pin a little more tightly.

“He means that too much exposure to MAKO could hurt Ven, at least right now, while he’s still healing and getting treatments,” Aqua replied, her voice calm and soothing as she picked up on Roxas’ anger. “Ven can still take up the blade later if he wants, but he’ll have to wait until he’s completely off treatment and through the rest of his physical therapy before we can start training with us again. We’re not risking him to needless overexposure or poisoning just so that he can get his official title. In the meantime, you need something to protect yourself, and Ven’s Mark recognized and responded to you. I think he’d be happy to know that you had it to keep you safe tonight.”

She smiled, putting a hand on his shoulder. “As for legality, we’ve got the paperwork in the works already, and we’ll finish formalizing once tonight’s operation is done. I’ve already told Master Yen Sid and General Wiseman of my intentions to sponsor you.” She saw the look of surprise on his face and laughed. “Think of tonight as your final exam. As soon as we’ve got the files we need, your part in the operation will be over, and you’ll have passed the trial.”

“Then comes all the exciting paperwork where you officially join the team and get to help us _sort_ and collate all those files to be used in evidence, won’t that be fun?” Terra laughed, bringing a hand down on Roxas’ other shoulder. “But when you’re a papered official we can take you to the Gummis and they’ll help you craft your own blade.”

“The Gummis?” Roxas asked, trying to absorb all of this information and starting to regret that meatball sub he’d bought at the hospital cafeteria. It’d been hours since he’d eaten, but it sat like lead in his stomach. Or maybe that was the slight panic of the thought that Aqua and Terra thought there’d be actual danger tonight, something like what had happened the previous night, enough that they thought he needed full armor and a weapon. That they'd considered him good enough to become a keyblade master.

“Chip and Dale, they run the outfitters who manufacture the Academy’s formal attire and gear,” Terra supplied, but anything else he was going to say was interrupted by the beep of a phone. He reached down to read the text and his easy demeanor changed, stiffening into attention. “The last arrivals just got here, time to review operations.”

They made their way downstairs, not back to the living room but into the kitchen and dining room area, which was already filled with people. Roxas recognized a few more familiar faces in the crowd, including Zexion, Xaldin, and Lexaeus. Zee nodded in greeting when he saw Roxas enter with Terra and Aqua, but the room quieted down as Terra took his place at the head of the group.

“Alright everyone, by now you should all have your assignments, let’s do a quick review before we move out…”

For all the drama and series of events that had built up to this night, the outline of the evening was relatively simple and a bit anticlimactic. Terra laid out a map on the dining room table and pointed to sections of the city as he spoke, outlining possible positions and general orders, although he ended with "Basically just do what you can to make as much noise as possible for as long as possible. If your location's been compromised, move out and relocate to one of the alternative designations. Keep base camp apprised, but we're going silent for as long as possible. Keep the chatter to the networks, and keep 'em busy."

The team leaders dispersed as soon as they received their USB sticks, courtesy of his brother and Zexion's work the previous day. Roxas watched them go, wondering how many of them actually knew what they were doing or whether they'd just been told to stick the USB into the nearest computer and let TRON handle the rest.

He'd like to think that they knew at least enough to cover their tracks when they first entered, but he didn't know most of the people on the teams, and the ones he _did_ know weren't actually part of the department's cyber team-- Lexaeus and Xaldin were part of Fraud, although he'd hoped Zexion had taken some time to give them the basics of VPNs and address spoofing.

Aqua came to collect him after sharing a few brief words with Terra, her own armor hidden beneath a hoodie for the Academy. He could also see the flash of her own Mark of Mastery medal in in the palm of her hand, although it was mostly hidden by her gloves. She gave him a tense but genuine smile, resting her hand on his shoulder.

“Ready?” Aqua asked. Roxas started to nod, then stopped, realizing he’d forgotten one very important thing, well, _two_ somethings that were definitely going to land him in a heap of trouble, but even more if he didn’t fix it right now.

“One minute,” he said, pulling out his phone. “I forgot to check in with the girls.”

She gave him a bit of privacy while he pulled out his phone to text Namine, letting her know that he’d met with Axel and they’d talked, and that he’d tell her all about it later when he got home but he was hanging out to take care of some things with Reno for the evening and wasn’t sure when he’d be back. “Don’t wait up, but I can wake you when I get in if you want. Have fun tonight!”

That was the easy one. She’d probably turned off her phone for the movie and wouldn’t get the message til _after_ he’d already turned off his. She could yell at him afterwards, when it was over, but he’d be able to distract her by convincing her to help him figure out next steps with Axel, so that would all work out.

The next would be harder. Still, it’d be worse if he _didn’t_ do anything, so he pulled up his sister’s number and pressed dial. It rang several times before clicking over to voicemail-- not surprising, given that it was close to 3 in the morning at the islands and she was a heavy sleeper. When he heard the pre-recorded message, he tensed, trying to figure out what, exactly, he could say.

“Hey, so I know it’s the middle of the night for you and you’re asleep, so don’t worry about calling back. I just wanted to call and let you know I’m gonna be offline for a couple of hours and you won’t be able to reach me by phone. The past couple of days have been sorta nuts and if you haven’t heard anything from Namine or Demyx I promise I’ll fill you in when I get back, but, um… I just wanted to call and say I love you and please don’t kill me when you hear this, I’ll call and explain stuff when everything’s over ok love you bye!”

Even as he quickly hung up the phone, he _knew_ she’d be _so_ pissed off, he was definitely gonna get an earful as soon as she got ahold of him. She might be angry enough to drop everything and fly in just so she could yell at him in person. But with any luck he’d be able to leave her a second message once they were done so he could mitigate the damage, and he’d be able to ask for forgiveness, rather than permission.

He turned to Aqua. “Now I’m ready,” he said. “We can head out whenever.”

\- - -

Xemnas did not suffer fools.

Everyone around him served a purpose, and they were expected to fullfil that purpose competently and with minimal to no fuss. If they made a mistake, or if they overstepped their role, he took action to ensure that such a thing would not happen again.

Sometimes, a mild reprimand or a slight in assignment was enough to deter further errors. Other times, there would be a formal complaint, or perhaps a mark on someone's record-- it depended on the person and the issue, really. He liked to think that he was fair in his judgements-- you didn’t get much out of a broken tool, after all-- and his force reflected this. They solved cases, kept the streets safe, quelled rebellions before they took root, and generally kept the peace. His people did good work, because he expected nothing but the best.

But then there were situations that required more permanent solutions.

Fortunately, these were usually few and far between, and the situation so dire or the error so egregious that he’d have no _choice_ but to fix it. Not personally, of course, he had people to handle that. People he could rely on to ask only relevant questions, obey orders, and clean up when they were done.

But his reliance on these people left him in an uncomfortable bind, because what was he supposed to do when his cleanup crew _was_ the problem?

Xigbar had been a solid, dependable officer during the Sephiroth Incident, handling some of the more delicate operations with a skill that earned him a spot by Xemnas’ side. In the years that followed, he’d continued to prove his worth, taking on tasks that needed a certain finesse. He carried these out without a hitch, and, while he was a bit mouthy, Xemnas knew he could rely on the man getting the job done.

But lately Xigbar’s performance had flagged, not getting Xemnas the results he wanted or expected. Xigbar had proven that he was outgrowing his usefulness-- not one but _two_ attempts on the Luxes and no results except for a bricked computer and melted hardware. Even worse, he was starting to make excuses, complaining about how his mistakes weren’t his fault.

Even now he was on the phone, griping about what should have been a simple open and shut assignment. One boy, not even out of school with no official training or weapons or backup, and yet he’d _still_ managed to escape. Xigbar had managed to mess it up again, and what was worse, the skirmish had injured two of his officers, which meant accountability for those injuries, which meant a last-minute raid and arrest to pin an assault charge on one of their ‘usual suspects.’

That part of the evening, at least, had gone off well enough-- the mechanic had put up a fight and clocked the officers before they’d subdued him, and had actually managed to draw more blood from one of the already wounded officers. But an ex-AVALANCHE operative had few friends in the city, after all, so Xemnas doubted anyone would raise a fuss, and it was doubtful that he’d be able to raise the capital for bond money.

Xemnas considered his options as Xigbar ranted. He wished he still had the good doctor on call; in the past, he’d had Vexen deal with such things. Vexen had had a way of getting things done with subtly and class and most importantly, in silence. He’d been with Xemnas for years, but then he’d fumbled the Lux job in far too public a manner to forgive, and Xigbar had preemptively taken care of it.

There were others in the force he could use, of course, but they hadn’t been sufficiently groomed, and they lacked the experience. Failing that, he had contacts who had resources he might be able to draw upon, although he did prefer to keep things ‘in the family’ as it were.

In the end it, such an execution would probably fall upon his own hands. He’d keep it as tidy as possible, of course, and he might regret the loss of his second when he had to fill out the forms and paperwork, but Xigbar was a powder keg next to a sparking wire, and would best be taken care of sooner rather than later. Xemnas was loathe to stoop to such measures, but, as Xigbar was so fond of saying, _he’d_ studied under Sephiroth, too.

His computer chimed, interrupting his distracted thoughts as Xigbar harped yet _again_ on the damn warehouse. Xemnas made an idle ‘hmm’ noise to let the man think he was paying attention, and half-turned in his chair to read the email he’d just gotten.

He frowned. There were no new messages, in fact, it looked like the computer was having trouble connecting to the network, and the chime was a notice that he’d lost the connection entirely. Not a significant issue-- connectivity went down from time to time, it was just something that happened. He dismissed the message, and decided that Xigbar had gone on long enough.

“I have yet to hear how you intend to rectify this mistake,” he interrupted, not bothering to raise his voice or wait for acknowledgement. There was an angry squawk on the other end of the line, then Xigbar started up again.

“That’s what I’m trying to tell you, those goons you got from Xeh--”

“Ah-ah,” Xemnas cut him off again, pinching the bridge of his nose. “No excuses. I need to hear that you have this under control.”

“I need better men,” Xigbar replied, irritation in his voice. “And a big pair of fucking scissors to cut through all the damn bureaucratic red tape. Just two minutes to finish it, I’m 90% sure he doesn’t have jack shit anyway.”

“Ten percent is a wide margin for error,” Xemnas said, frowning as his computer chimed again. He clicked on the computer’s innate troubleshooting program to try reconnecting and waited, then turned the PC on mute. He turned his back to the monitor again, wondering if Xigbar realized he was digging his own grave with these admissions.

“The girl’s drive melted the PC, but the guys did forensics on it and said that from what they could glean it just had an executable program, no files. If Blondie amassed files like he said he did, they weren’t on that drive. I don’t think Junior has them, either.”

“But you’re not completely sure,” Xenmas pressed.

“You can’t be completely sure of anything until you’re dead. And there’s no way to run an executable if you’ve been executed.” Xigbar laughed at his little joke, and Xemnas closed his eyes, debating on the merits of just hanging up the damn call now. Xigbar knew what needed to be done, the question was whether or not he could be trusted to--

There was a rapid knock and a head popped into the room, one of the younger officers from the IT crew. Miller? Miles? No, _Milo_. The boy had the decency to look apologetic for barging in without waiting for a reply, but whatever emergency brought him in was apparently worth a reprimand. Xemnas held up a finger to indicate that he should wait, then interrupted Xigbar before he could start ranting again.

“We’re not done discussing this,” he said. “One moment. Yes?” He looked at Milo again, who held up a tablet like a shield in front of him.

“Sorry to interrupt, sir, but there’s been a hiccup in the network, all systems are currently unavailable,” Milo said. “We’re checking the servers now to identify the problem, and we’re hoping things’ll be up again in a jiffy. I just wanted to let you know in case you went to check things and it didn’t work.”

“Is there reason for concern?” Xemnas asked, but the boy shook his head.

“Not so far as we know, no sir. It’s just taking longer than anticipated to determine what happened so we can reboot. Your PC should let you know when everything’s reconnected, but if you want me to let you know--”

“That won’t be necessary, thank you Thatch,” Xemnas said, already pushing that to the back of his mind as he returned to dealing with Xigbar. “Shut the door on your way out.”

“Yessir,” the boy ducked out and shut the door with a click. Xemnas gave his disconnected PC an angry frown before putting the phone back up to his ear.

“I hope you have some sort of plan of action,” he said.

“I’ve always got a plan,” Xigbar replied, and Xemnas hung up before he could get further. After all, he did not suffer fools.

\- - -

"I would like the official record to state that I had no part in choosing this location and have never done anything like this before, ever," Roxas said, settling into the familiar chair. He typed in the purloined credentials and grinned as the desktop came to life with a photograph of dalmatian puppies. "Off the record, I would like to state that it's sort of hilarious to actually be using Squall's computer to hack into his account and launch this whole operation. I’ve come full circle! And it adds some novelty to the whole experience, although I admit that I will feel just a teensy bit of remorse if we accidentally fry his PC."

"I can see we're going to start your orientation seminars with several rounds of ethic classes and discussions about self-incrimination," Aqua replied, but she was smiling as she settled down across from him, pulling out her laptop and the storage tower. Roxas did the honors of crawling under the desk to plug in the additional computer, and they waited for TRON to finish booting. When he was ready, he saluted, then stood at attention for further instructions.

“Are we good to go?” Roxas asked, turning to Aqua. She tapped her phone, looked at the clock, then nodded.

“Do you want to play a game?” she asked, and he laughed, despite himself.

“That movie is so _old_ , I can’t believe you quoted that, what a nerd.”

“Says the one who knew what I was quoting,” she laughed. She shifted her focus to the computer, and nodded. “Let’s get our party logged in, shall we?”

Roxas grinned and loaded the _Heartless_ software on the machine. TRON watched it load, running an idle animation as the menu came up, and it stopped on the login screen. He took a deep breath, then typed in the username NOBODY. The little heartless froze, then began to swell, filling the screen as it changed into the massive behemoth of a heartless that Axel had designed for an end boss fight planned for a future update. The screen went dark, for a moment, and then the database with all his users --and more importantly, their logins-- filled the screen. TRON perked up at this, turning to face Roxas and Aqua.

“I’ve successfully connected to the network and shared this information to my other accounts with the other teams,” he said, pulling up a map of the city to show green check marks in various places around Radiant Gardens. “Please be aware that the computer may flicker or the screen may go dark for a few moments while the program runs. Do not turn off the PC or disconnect the power cord. Deployment in five, four, three, two--”

And, just like that, the PC’s monitor flickered off, and the room went silent.

Roxas held his breath, just listening, and he could still hear the faint whir of machinery in the desktop. Then, he heard the beeps of other computers down the hall coming online-- thank goodness IT made people keep their PCs on overnight for network maintenance and updates-- and the quiet hum of electronics filled the air. In his pocket, Roxas felt his burner phone wake up in his back pocket, loading the game and attempting to access the servers via the Academy’s network. He took it out and placed it on the desk. No point in risking it burning his butt, after all.

And then… well, they still had a bit of waiting to do. While they sat there, TRON and his army of bots were logging into each and every account registered in the game, as well as every account identified on the device with the latest installation. They’d have a better idea of how many machines they had to work with in a couple of minutes, but if it was even half the estimated tech owned by the citizenry, it’d be more than enough to cause some serious headaches and a whole lot of noise.

Roxas looked over at Aqua, who seemed relaxed, despite how much was riding on tonight. She’d pulled out a book and was quietly reading, reclining on Squall’s lounger, but she must have felt his gaze. She looked up and smiled, giving him the courage to speak up on one of the things niggling at the back of his mind.

“Hey Aqua, can I ask you something?”

“You can always ask,” she said, “but I don’t always have the answers.”

“What was Ven doing?”

She frowned, gesturing to the PC. “He was working on TRON, gathering data--”

“No, I get that,” he interrupted. “I mean the night of the explosion. Do you know what happened?”

She opened her mouth, closed it, pursed her lips and tried to think. Before she had a chance to consider what to say, however, TRON popped back up on the screen, giving them the thumbs up.

“Despite slow conversion rates to updated variations of the software and a number of devices that have been either powered down or turned offline, we have a ping rate of nearly 96%, and control is near absolute. Systems are ready to go on passcode command.”

Roxas looked back at Aqua, who nodded-- official approval, then. He stretched out his arms and cracked his knuckles, then pulled the keyboard closer, typing in his user credentials for his ‘User Repeat’ account. Then he reached over and plugged in the USB Ven and Zexion had prepared for him, and held the stick until it registered an encrypted code in the login field. A second window popped up, and the light for the monitor’s webcam lit up. Roxas licked his lips, then looked to TRON.

“Please state passcode for final authentication,” TRON said, holding a graphic of a microphone and miming that Roxas should speak.

“Alone,” he said, wondering not for the first time what kind of password that was, and what his brother’s mindset must’ve been to come up with something like that. When all this was over, and Ven _finally_ came home, they were going to have a heart to heart to talk things over. Still, Aqua didn’t comment, and TRON seemed happy enough with the passcode.

“Access granted, welcome, User Roxas. What are your commands?” TRON smiled at him, hands folded behind his back, and Roxas slumped in his chair, letting out a long, measured breath.

“Can you confirm which networks you’re logged into?” he asked, looking to Aqua for confirmation, but she seemed willing to let him take the lead on this. In response, TRON pulled up a list of different networks, private and otherwise, and Roxas skimmed the list in appreciation. Then he frowned.

“I need you to modify the parameters,” he ordered. “I don’t want to risk anyone dying because the hospital goes offline. Can you run remove them from the list of targeted nodes? Don’t mess with the phones of doctors or medics or firefighters, either, if you can.”

“I can do that. What are we looking for tonight?” TRON asked, and Roxas would’ve sworn that was anticipatory glee as he asked.

“My brother released something into the intranet, a program or something that’s been vacuuming up evidence or something,” he said, wishing he had a better idea of what it might be called, or where it might be stored, or even how it functioned. “We need to find and sync with it, then begin a transfer to a designated server and storage device.”

Ven wouldn’t (or couldn’t) tell him, so they were all floundering around in the dark-- even Zexion, who’d apparently built the thing with him, didn’t know what the final version of the program as called. Fortunately, TRON knew what he meant.

“The Organization Program, yes,” agreed TRON, then, he hesitated. “The program is labeled as Nort class, so it may take some time to locate and recover all of the pieces.”

“Wait, what’s a ‘nort’?” Roxas asked.

“Primary User created the class as ‘No One Read This’,” TRON replied. “The program flags files of interest, then copies them with a new name into a repository. Each time a new file is added, the repository is obfuscated and then hidden in a need location.”

“And these repositories are all over the intranet?” Roxas asked, wondering how paranoid his brother had been to go to those lengths, and if accessing those areas would throw red flags in the system.

“We can narrow search parameters if you know the tag,” TRON replied. “Then we can trace all files with that tag and pull them to the storage device of your choosing.”

“And this PC has enough power for you to do that while also opening other folders?” he asked, knowing TRON had assured him that this was the case but still needing to hear it, one more time. “You can pull this off?”

“That’s what bots are for. Are you ready to begin?” TRON asked, and a search box popped up. Roxas bit his lip, typed in “KINGDOM HEARTS,” and clicked ‘enter.’ The screen flickered, TRON changed costumes into some sort of weird Sherlock Holmes getup, and began to idle with a magnifying glass animation.

Aqua’s phone chirped a few times, and she looked up after a few minutes of quiet texting.

“The others report that their units have begun their red herring hunts,” she said. “Now, we wait.”

\- - -

Email was still down. Or maybe it wasn’t. Xemnas tried opening the damn program, but every time he went to load a new email, the program would crash, or freeze, or it wouldn’t load completely. Same thing with his phone-- the email service itself had to be at fault, since he couldn’t get it to work on either device.

Frustrated, he turned off the monitor and picked up one of the physical files on his desk. He could still hear the whir of the machine, but sometimes it was easier to just go offline and work with physical things in front of you. He had budgets to balance, after all. Proposals to review. Performance reviews to read. And an execution to figure out, if Xigbar managed to fuck up whatever brilliant plan he’d concocted this time.

He’d only been working at it for about 15 minutes when a rapid staccato of knocks interrupted his thoughts. Once again, Thatch burst into the room without waiting for a reply, his normally flushed face absolutely pallid, glasses askew. He tried to straighten things up as he remembered who he was talking to, but the half-hearted attempt to tuck in his shirt did little more than further wrinkle his clothes.

“Sir, there’s been an incident.”

“Report.”

“Someone’s messing around in the system,” Milo said. “There’s some sort of virus that’s logging into accounts across every device connected to the internet and they’re overloading the network.”

Xemnas blinked, staring at Milo even as his mind raced through different scenarios. None were good, not with so many of the staff and team off for the evening. And their digital squad was limited further still given that they'd been forced to hold Lux’s position for him. Still, depending on the severity and extent of an attack, even a foot soldier might tip the balance in their favor.

“Explain.” he pulled up his phone again, then turned on his monitor as Milo spat out the events between gasps.

“They’re opening up programs, running scans, checking directories, copying and pasting files-- and there are _thousands_ of them,” Milo ran fingers through his hair, managing to make the strands stand up when he took away his hand. “They’ve taken over the entire network, and it seems like they’ve hit things all over the city. We can’t get certain pages to load, they’re just overwhelming the server with requests and it’s throwing different parts of the system.”

Xemnas tapped a finger on the desk, mulling that over. He knew enough about the networks to follow what the man had said, but not enough to know what needed to happen next. He had people for _this_ , too. It was just rotten luck that it happened on the night that the only one on call was the damned new hire. Still. There were policies in place for this sort of thing. “How long?”

“Sir?”

He sighed. “How long until you can fix it?” he clarified, seeing the boy’s confusion. At the question, Thatch shrugged, gesturing to the computer.

“I don’t know, sir! Our firewalls and antivirus programs should’ve stopped whatever started it, but it’s like everyone gave it permissions and it’s going to town-- _literally_ \--- with the access levels it’s been granted. It’s getting into places that are above _my_ clearance level, so I have no way to trace its origins or figure out where it’s going or what it’s looking at--”

“I’ll call in more senior staff--”

“But the phones are down, sir!” Milo interrupted. He flinched as Xemnas just stared at him, and continued. “It’s affecting every device connected-- computers, cell phones, even the printer is acting weird. I’m doing my best but I don’t have the security clearance or enough hands to handle it on my own.”

Xemnas frowned, picking up his landline. At the dial tone, he arched an eyebrow at the boy, who had the decency to look embarrassed for forgetting that landlines were still a thing for this exact purpose. “I’ll make some calls. In the meantime, can we take them offline?”

“We can do that, sir, but it’s gonna take a lot more hands on the keys-- it’s just me on the night shift, sir, and if everyone’s gone home and the phones aren’t connecting--”

“Gather everyone who is here already in the conference room, see if we have any older tech that might not be affected,” Xemnas interrupted. Would _everyone_ be giving him excuses about everything tonight? “Are the hand radios affected?”

“No sir. Just phones, computers, and tablets, from what we can tell. Oh, and a couple of calculators, too.”

“We’re going to get everything we can offline immediately, and turn off everything that cannot be disconnected from the Internet. Tell people as you go, and have someone retrieve additional radio units. We’re going to call the rest of your team in.”

“Yes sir.”

Milo shot out the door to follow orders, and Xemnas reached down to disconnect his own computer’s ethernet cord. To his immense satisfaction, the rapidly opening files stopped, program interrupted mid-pull, and with the process paused he was finally able to read what the attacker had been going through.

It appeared that they were interested in…. he frowned. Why would someone hack into the police network to check on service records of the force’s fleet? Were they thinking about carjacking police vehicles? He closed the window, and saw another open behind it-- this one was files full of permits for the city docks. Again, nothing remarkable, but there were some files attached to one location in particular that he could have _sworn_ he’d deleted months, if not years ago.

He closed window after window, finding more of the same-- mundane files involved in the operation of the city in general, nothing specific to his department, nothing that could be considered questionable, but the final window he came upon was a directory of internal files from Shinra-- _classified_ files that he clearly remembered Preston swearing had been removed from the system, but, well, there they were.

It was more afoot than just a simple attack, then, and while the searches appeared to be random, it also appeared that Preston’s men had failed to complete the scrub of the system as he’d ordered, and someone was starting to take a closer look. He unplugged the computer for good measure.

No time to waste-- he opened his phone and removed the battery, placing it face down on his desk. Then he opened his locked drawer and brought out one of the burner phones, dialing Xigbar’s second phone when he confirmed that it was unaffected by the attack.

“There’s been a cyberattack on the network and Thatch says our system is unable to stop it,” he said, not letting Xigbar get more than a greeting in. “I’m going to call in the rest of the tech team on the regular lines, but I need you to investigate while they’re fixing this mess.”

“You think it’s Lux?” Xigbar asked, and Xemnas sighed.

“Lately, it seems like that’s been the case. Find the team, then find the boy.”

\- - -

“I’ve been trying to figure out how to answer your earlier question,” Aqua said. Roxas looked up from the game of solitaire laid out on Squall’s desk, the only game he’d be playing while the bots wrought havoc on the servers.

“My question?”

“About Ven, the accident,” she clarified, and he sat up, eyes wide.

“Do you know what happened?” he asked, thinking back to all of those random clues he’d found in what he’d managed to glean from the servers, and from what Aqua had given him. He had pieces, but not the whole picture. A Shinra truck went in that day, and hours later, so did his brother. It didn’t make sense, but _Ven_ wasn’t talking, and there’d never been enough time in his conversations with Aqua.

“Did you know that Ven has this curious fascination with lights?” she asked. He blinked, trying to process the question, but she went on without expecting a reply. “If you ever wanted to distract him, all you have to do is mention the workings of MAKO illumination and he'll go on for hours.”

She smiled, a quiet, fond thing, then shrugged. “You know his job was going through all the paperwork stirred up with the rebel faction and everything,” she stated, again, not waiting for him to reply. “As part of the assignment he had access to some of the private files from the Shinra Corporation-- basically stuff like blueprints, energy output, environmental impact studies for their plants, that kind of thing.”

Her phone buzzed and she paused, reading the text and shooting off a quick reply.

“Zexion’s been called in-- apparently Xemnas is calling an all-hands meeting, there must be some sort of emergency. Zee's leaving his set up unattended to buy us more time.” She laughed, although it lacked the usual warmth. She sighed, then picked up on her story again.

“Anyway, he was really only supposed to file it away into the appropriate report and make sure that the links were working. His primary task was to create a program that could tag and file reports automatically to save the officers the work. Preferably something with enough autonomy that once it was done with the case files from the incident, it could be implemented in other parts of the department as well, to help cut down on paperwork.”

“TRON?” Roxas guessed, and she nodded.

“He had access to a variety of file samplings,” she said, then shrugged. “And because he’s a nerd who likes studying light, he noticed that some of the numbers were off in the environmental impact study. So off that it was like Shinra had a file that admitted to criminal and lethal levels of radiation and leakage.”

“You saw this file?” he asked, and she nodded.

“I told him to flag the file for further investigation at a later date, since something had clearly gotten mixed up in the one he had.” She shrugged, playing with Squall’s perpetual motion sculpture and flicking it off balance while she spoke. “When he checked the file again later, the levels that were closer to what apparently is acceptable, and well within ‘passing’ lines. Some of the folders he'd flagged were missing entirely.”

“And no one else thought that was suspicious?”

“I’d been given explicit orders to accelerate the process, orders from the top and from public office.” She grimaced. “So I told him to chalk it up to intern stupidity and let it slide-- Shinra was dealing with a lot of bad press because of their involvement with Sephiroth’s team, and they were doing a lot of good, pro bono work to rebuild the city. They didn’t need another bloody nose because of a misprint.”

“But it wasn’t a misprint.”

“Ven didn’t think so.”

Roxas opened his mouth to ask a million questions, but TRON flickered back onto the screen, snapping out of his Sherlock Holmes getup and into his more typical attire, although it looked like he’d buffed it up a bit with armor. He waved at them until the came over to the computer and began to speak.

“Systems indicate that there’s been some detection. We’re facing some probes and pushback, Users, originating from the police station,” he said. “At the moment, several phones and computers from members of the police squad have dropped off the network. I estimate another 20 minutes or so until they’re able to communicate to other departments to turn off more devices.”

“How are we looking on file locations and transfer?” Roxas asked, wondering what TRON had found so far, and how much would still need to be located. They’d been at it for 40 minutes-- not that long in the grand scheme of things, but earlier than they’d hoped to be discovered, and they wanted to get _everything_ the sniffer program had found.

TRON shrugged, pulling up a chart that showed the general health of his army of bots, their chatter, the false documents they were opening, and then, apart from the noisemakers, the bots that were actually hunting for anything tagged with ‘Kingdom Hearts.’ It was taking too long-- they needed another way to filter out more red herring files, figure out which folders they needed to go into, and which ones they could ignore--

“Shit! TRON, I think I know a way to refine your search parameters. Open the desktop folder with vacation spots.”

The folder opened up, revealing all of the photos of potential places to visit that Ven had pulled together. Fourteen different spots, each labeled with a specific location in mind. Roxas tapped the screen, nodding. “Were any of the files you’ve found so far tagged with any of the locations in this folder?”

TRON replied without hesitation. “They’re all tagged with at least one of those markers, yes.”

Roxas grinned. “Ok, narrow your focus to include those keywords, too. That should help speed things up.”

TRON saluted and got back into his Holmes outfit, and Roxas leaned back in his chair, heart pounding. Maybe they could do it after all. TRON didn’t mention anything about the various other groups being compromised, and while devices were being taken offline, they were still in the game. All they had to do was find a couple of incriminating files with names attached, or evidence of negligence, or something that was strong enough to justify holding someone with reasonable intent.

“Should we start decrypting some of these? See if we can find what you’re looking for so we can get things official sooner than later?” He asked, turning to Aqua, but she shook her head.

“We may have to move out in a hurry and I don't want to risk corrupting data from a hasty shutdown.” She saw his frustration and laughed, reaching over to pat him on the head. “When we get back to the safehouse and we're offline, then we can start.”

They fell into a quiet silence again, Aqua going back to her book and Roxas slouching in his chair to think about Ven and MAKO, and why _that_ would be the thing that caught his attention out of everything else. Why he’d even bother looking into that, when his true interests were all the space programs-- his room full of rockets and stars were proof enough of that.

“He’s not interested in lights,” Roxas said after thinking it through. Aqua looked over at him and he shrugged, kicking his feet out from the desk. “He’s interested in the MAKO. Our folks worked at the Nibelheim powerplant, and I guess they talked to him a lot about the potential it had.” She gave a quiet ‘hmm’ of understanding, and he kept talking, more to fill the silence than anything else. Computer ops were _boring_ when you had AI to do the work for you.

“Anyway, then they got killed, and we got shipped off to the Islands. Maybe he wanted to make sure Shinra had followed up on its promise not to let anything like that happen again.”

“That sounds like him,” she said with a quiet laugh. “He said as much in his interview when we hired him, that he wanted to prevent another accident. But I’m serious about the lighting-- he knows more than the average person when it comes to illumination methods.”

“Well… we all have unique hobbies, I guess. He likes lighting, I like, um… not incriminating myself any more than I already have by talking about hypothetical mischief I may or may not get up to in my down time.” He laughed. “At least he doesn’t collect tentacles.”

“...is there a story behind that?”

“Not really, my sister is just weird.”

\- - -

“We’re going to work under the assumption that every device is compromised,” Xemnas said, then pointed to the map, ticking off grid sections. “Since we do not have access to our usual resources, I’m going to need teams visiting major sites that are viable access points to the city network. Check schools, libraries, government buildings--- anything that has a decent sized hub to connect to our systems.”

The room was silent, save for the quiet hum of the computers still running and noises from the staff dealing with the regular late night operations for the station. Xemnas expected no less than their absolute attention, and the men and women on his force knew this. They’d come in immediately, no questions asked, and assembled in the conference room without complaint. They listened to the briefing without interruption, knowing that they’d been given all of the information available, and knowing that Xemnas would ask if there were questions at the end.

“Sir!” Ben, one of the newer administrative workers and therefore unaware of this protocol, raised his hand as though he was back in the University. Xemnas closed his eyes, briefly, wondering if that year’s batch of graduates had been full of duds. The man had joined around the same time as Milo, after all. Xemnas opened his eyes again, frowning at the waving hand. Then again, that had been Lux’s class as well.

“Yes?” he asked, wondering if the eccentric persona was really a disguise for a far more subtle and cunning saboteur.

“Sir!” Ben stood up, nearly falling over the desk in his haste to clear it. “Sir, we’re going to need a team on the landlines here, sir! We’ve got calls coming in across the city, people are saying they’re unable to log into their computers or phones. It seems like some of the local restaurants are reporting that their payment systems have been affected as well-- no word on whether or not the payment card information has been stolen. Sir!”

Xemnas raised an eyebrow. That was surprisingly competent for someone who consistently wore mismatched socks and sat at the wrong desk at least once a week. Xemnas nodded, making the man beam as he stumbled back into his chair.

“I’ll let you assemble a team to address public concerns then, Benjamin,” he replied, then promptly turned to the group of officers huddled around the conference table, the only ones who hadn’t kept their faces on him while he spoke.

“The cyberstrike team will try to narrow down coordinates for you, to see if they can give you a better idea of targets,” he said. He picked up one of the communicators from the table. “Keep your coms open and your phones off. When you get to a building, if it seems like there are machines working, remove that building from the power grid. We’ll shut them down the old fashioned way if we have to. Questions?”

There were a few, but everyone knew time was of the essence, so they kept things short and the teams began collecting their specific orders. He dismissed them, and they began filing out to their various districts, only stopping to pick up one of the clunky radio units on their way out. Xemnas paused in the door, looking over the remaining team of officers hard at work.

“Zexion,” he said, and the young officer looked up from his laptop, eyes refocusing on his chief.

“Sir?”

“With me. I have a specific task for you.”

Zexion followed him to one of the conference rooms further down the hall, and waited patiently while Xemnas turned on the screen. The PC booted without hesitation, then immediately launched into a series of logins, the screen dimming as the user was locked out. Xemnas sighed, pulled the ethernet cord, then gestured to the whirring machine.

“I want you to see if you can figure out what they are trying to accomplish,” he said. “I checked the files that were being pulled on my computer before I shut it off, but there do not seem to be any connections between the files. You have tools for cross-checking these things, use them.”

“The folders they pulled up just stay open when you go offline?” Zexion asked, and scowled. “That’s sloppy coding.”

Xemnas resisted the slight twitch of a smile. Trust Zexion to get angry that the attackers used methods that lacked finesse.

“A good sign for you, I trust,” he said. “I would think lazy coding would make it easier to break through and find their weakness, trace them back to their point of origin.”

“Not necessarily,” Zexion replied, already scanning the files on the now-offline computer and clicking through the folders. “Someone who launches an attack on this scale and has the ability to spread something like this had to take a lot of time planning things out. It’s probably more than one person, and they’re probably spoofing their locations. It’s what I would do.”

“Let the others worry about finding them,” Xemnas argued, then gestured to the hallway. “Bring in whatever other resources you need to get this done. They must be searching for something; you need to figure out what it is. Let me know when you have a better idea of what that might be.”

“Yessir,” Zexion replied, already sliding into the chair and pulling up a dozen windows at once. Xemnas left him too it, glad to know that there were still _some_ competent people he could rely on.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter title from the KH2 soundtrack, specifically TRON's world, because this chapter (and the next) are his time to shine.
> 
> Before I forget-- [ I drew some art of Roxas getting the keyblade! ](http://sirladysketch.tumblr.com/post/174684185658/i-guess-technically-a-spoiler-for-the-next-chapter)
> 
> ALSO CAN WE PLEASE TALK ABOUT HOW GOOD "CHIKAI" IS???? Ahhhhhhhhhh <3


	19. Byte Striking

“That was Terra, checking in,” Aqua said as she walked back into the room. She pocketed her phone and closed the door, settling back onto the couch. “It sounds like the noise is working; Xemnas has as many people as possible to work on this. And it’s early enough in the evening that the public is awake to call in complaints. So, not too bad for your first sting operation.”

She smiled at him, but it tightened a bit as she got into the bad news. “As you can probably guess, that means we’ve lost a couple of men on the inside. I’m sure Zexion will do what he can to deflect the searches, but we could’ve used him a bit longer.”

“Do you need me to do whatever he was doing?” Roxas offered, but she shook her head.

“We’ve still got agents masking our various locations, and the bots are still in place, so we’re alright on that count. Some of the other teams have had to move, though.” She glanced out the hallway, biting her lower lip. “They’ve left things running where they could, and the mobile teams are setting up additional stings as they go.”

“Are we gonna need to leave, too?” Roxas asked. He moved to scoop up his solitaire game, but a hand on his shoulder stilled him.

“Not yet, it sounds like we still have time,” she replied. She turned to the computer, watching TRON in his Sherlock Holmes outfit, investigating files and folders before throwing them off into the storage tower and cloud. “TRON, how much longer do you have on those transfers?”

TRON stopped his investigation animation long enough to pull out a large pocket watch, scratching his chin as he calculated the transfer rate.

“I believe we have another 20 minutes or so, but we’re losing speed as more machines are going offline,” he said at last. “I can post the progress bar below for you to give you real time updates.”

“Thanks, TRON,” Roxas said, checking the new window as it popped up, watching the progress bar creep along as TRON went back to his idling animation. He sighed and decided to clean up the cards anyway-- he couldn’t focus on the stupid game anyway. Aqua was back at the door, walking back and forth, chewing on her thumb and looking down at her phone every time she got a text.

“You never finished telling me what happened that night,” he said, after a moment. The distraction would probably do her good, too. Her pacing stopped, but her expression grew sad.

“I don’t have concrete evidence, not yet-- I only have best guesses based on what Terra and I already knew, and what we suspected. I don’t know if we’ll ever have all of the answers, not unless Ven’s program found documentation with concrete proof.”

“Of _what?”_ ” he asked again, waiting for TRON or the phone or, heck, even Squall to walk in and interrupt them before the story was finished.

“On paper, Terra came to Radiant Gardens during the aftermath and reorganization efforts to assist with the organization’s restructure. Advising with internal promotions, determining whether or not offices or officers had been, ah, compromised leading up to and during the takedown,” she explained, leaning against the wall. “In reality, he was investigating whispers that a majority of the guilty parties were still operational in this location.”

“But he’s Internal Affairs,” Roxas said, and things started to fall into place, like _why_ it was so important that non-officers guard his brother, and why Terra and Aqua might have to disappear for a while. She nodded as she watched him put the pieces together.

“He planned to meet with his source that night, and asked me to come along since I was his main contact on the force here. Ven knew we were heading out that night, but he must have read something, or he uncovered something after we’d gone and couldn’t reach us. But he knew that it was a setup, and he saved us the only way he could think of-- by setting off the trap before we did.”

“So the explosion….”

Roxas had relived that night often enough to remember it clearly, both for the multiple interviews and on his own time, wondering what had gone wrong. Ven, working late at the office, texting Roxas to let him know not to wait on him for dinner, and when he _had_ shown up, he’d gone immediately to his room to keep working.

It’d been odd-- even when he was busy, Ven usually took a few minutes to at least say goodnight, but he’d been so intent on whatever he was doing that Roxas hadn’t wanted to interrupt. And he hadn’t had time to check the computer when Terra had woken him up in the middle of the night, so all he’d had to work with were the surveillance videos Aqua had sent him, and what little information he’d been able to wheedle out of Pete about what his brother had been working on.

Even now, they were still without all the pieces--until TRON found everything, of course-- but Roxas could just _see_ his brother pouring over the surveillance videos, watching the MAKO shipment deliveries stacking up in the warehouse where Terra and Aqua planned to meet their source.

Was there even a source? Or had it been a setup the entire time? Ven must have found enough to set off enough red flags to send him into action. And knowing his brother, he’d been so focused on helping Aqua and Terra that he hadn’t even thought to tell Roxas he was going out. Of course, if he had, Roxas probably would’ve made him explain things, which meant...

“We would have been killed instantly, yes,” she finished, slumping down onto Squall’s couch again. “As it was, we were still injured. We got Ven out and I rode with him to the hospital, then left under orders of General Wiseman. And Terra, well….”

“He woke me up at three in the morning by pounding on my door til I got up, and scared me half to death because he was covered in blood and dust,” Roxas supplied, shuddering at the memory. “He dropped me off at the hospital and while I was gone, he took all of Ven’s stuff. That got _me_ in a lot of trouble, you know. Pete kept saying he’d arrest me for interfering with an investigation.”

“Pete means well,” Aqua laughed at Roxas’ indignant look. “He _does_. He tries to do things by the book, but sometimes that means he misses things that aren’t overtly marked as clues.”

“So who is it? The bad guys who slipped under the radar?” he asked, and she looked over to the storage tower that TRON was dumping files into.

“I have my suspicions,” she admitted. “But, if Ven’s program works the way it’s supposed to, we’ll confirm it soon enough.”

“I just want enough evidence to put Xigbar away,” Roxas said, rubbing his shoulder and wishing he’d been armed the night before. “He shouldn’t be able to get away with half the crap he does.”

“He’s definitely on the list of people I would recommend removing, effective immediately,” she agreed, getting to her feet. Then she held out her hand, helping him to stand. “In the meantime, why don’t I show you more with the keyblade?”

 - - -

He liked to think that it was a testament both to his team and his own managerial skills that no one on the job was panicking, despite the critical nature of the emergency on hand. Maybe it was because so few of them fully grasped the severity of a digital attack, or maybe it was because so many of them had weathered through the Sephiroth incident, but whatever the reason, Xemnas was pleased to hear them going about in an orderly and thorough manner, calling in as potential targets were checked, and reporting that any suspicious activity dealt with in a swift and decisive manner.

Well, apart from Milo, who’d gone into a bit of a panic mode as he attempted to track down precise attack points and instead became more and more frustrated as the attackers disappeared in one spot, only to pop up in another. Xemnas wasn’t really sure what that entailed, but the more senior members of the team seemed unfazed, so he left it to their better judgment, knowing that the city was in good hands as they chipped away at firewalls and worked on containing whatever it was that was going on.

Hie real concern was a bit more specific, at the moment. With Xigbar out of the way and on assignment, that was one worry, at least, that he could push to the back of his mind. He’d deal with the man in good time, but for now, his greater priority was uncovering what, precisely, these people were looking for, and what they’d already found. He didn’t know how, but his gut told him Lux was involved--the older, or the younger, they were synonymous in his head now so it didn’t matter-- one of them was involved in some way. He could _feel_ it.

Assigning Zexion to this specific task was dangerous, he knew. The man was a wildcard in this-- he’d been Lux’s coworker after all, and he’d been one of the first to volunteer as part of the guard squad. There’d been some fraternization between the two as Aqua assigned them a joint project, but neither man had seemed overly companionable towards the other, and so far as Xemnas knew (through tabs kept in the office, and through Xigbar’s own reports), Zexion had not visited the hospital after the police had been pulled from the assignment. That probably meant that they were polite peers and casual coworkers rather than friends.

Normally he wouldn’t leave such things to chance, but the assignment was twofold. First, he had limited options within the office with his force stretched so thin, and Zexion’s work was consistently impeccable. What was more, the man never questioned orders without bringing up valid arguments and solutions to those issues. He was quiet, he was neat, and he was intelligent. And his discretion could be relied on--the man rarely socialized with coworkers while on the clock, and Xemnas doubted his reserved manners afforded him many outside friends, so there was little fear that he’d discuss what he found.

The second aspect of the assignment was that he _needed_ good people on his side, and this would be the perfect opportunity to see if Zexion could be one of those people. He didn’t like relying on outsiders assigned to him, or worse, borrowing help from people who might consider it a debt he’d have to repay. He kept his ledgers in the black, and dealt with red marks before they got out of hand. Finding good people from within his own teams was just easier for everyone involved.

It’d been less than an hour since he’d assigned the task, but time was of the essence, and Zexion tended to work fast. There was also the pressing matter of sensitivity of documents-- if the man found something compromising, it would be best to let him know how he expected them to be handled. The rest of the force could continue without supervision for a bit. This matter, however, required _finesse_.

Xemnas headed down the hallway towards the conference rooms, wondering if he’d need to bring in more computers for the man to use, or if he’d be able to write a program of some sort to quickly skim the contents of the files, but when he entered the room, he found several new units sitting on the table, a tangle of wires between each one, connecting them in a snarled web of cords. At the center sat Zexion, typing away at his keyboard, fingers flying over the keys.

The man didn’t look up as Xemnas slipped into the room, loathe to interrupt what seemed to be an intensive execution of code, but at the same time, he needed to know what had been found. Some files might be easier to explain, given enough time to provide the appropriate context. Other files, not so much. There was a reason he’d pushed for as little documentation as possible; complying with the bureaucratic need for paper trails never did anyone any good.

He slipped in behind the array of monitors, scanning the windows arranged across multiple desktops. There were files he recognized, files that Preston had insisted upon, medical reports and energy level outputs. Nothing terribly damning on their own, but Zexion had gone to the public records as well, pulling up official documents that Xemnas already knew would show discrepancies. He was already adding comments to the documents, switching between monitors to ensure all of the data was recorded. The man was nothing but thorough, of course. It was why Xemnas held him in such high esteem.

He held his tongue, waiting to see what the man would do next, and after Zexion finished one report, he opened another window and rapidly typed a few lines of code. An avatar appeared almost immediately, dressed in a post workers attire. It played a short animation to mime package delivery, saluted, then disappeared. Zexion immediately began annotating another file, and Xemnas didn't bother hiding a sigh.

“How very disappointing,” he said, stepping forward to physically move Zexions hand from the mouse. “I had hoped we could chat about this but it seems that you've already chosen an action.”

To his credit, Zexion didn't flinch. He simply sat back in the chair and rolled away from the computer, placing his hands in his lap.

“I followed my heart to choose what is right,” Zexion said. After a beat, he added, “Sir.”

“Everything I do, I do for this city,” Xemnas replied. Pity. Zexion was usually pragmatic enough to understand that some problems called for unconventional measures. Perhaps, if he’d had more time, he would have been able to sway the younger man to see reason, but time was of the essence, and having found a major leak in security, it was his duty to stop the flow of information.

Zexion smiled, hands resting in his lap. “I was going to say the same thing,” he said with a quiet laugh. “You’re too late, you know. The information is out there now, in the hands of our superiors, and it’s up to them to determine what’s in the city’s best interests.”

“Perhaps,” Xemnas agreed. “I will accept the consequences of my actions, knowing the people of my city are better off for what I have done. Better for me to sully my hands for progress than to allow unnecessary suffering through inaction. But it leaves me in a somewhat awkward position-- what am I supposed to do with you?”

“At the risk of overstepping my position, I’d suggest nothing,” Zexion said. He hadn’t moved to answer the messages stacking up on his phone, nor had he looked at the screen to check on the bots he’d been monitoring. Instead, he nodded towards the door. “There are a lot of people out there who will be scrutinizing your actions in the immediate future. Anything you do now will just seem like petty lashing out.”

Xemnas laughed, and pointed to the computers. “Shut those down,” he ordered, and Zexion moved at last, the screens going dark as he cut power to the hub. He stood as Xemnas waved him towards the exit.

“I concede that there’s no point in hasty actions,” he said, and guided the man down the hall towards some of the holding rooms. He ushered Zexion inside, then paused in the doorway. “That said, I cannot permit you to continue to interfere while I still hold the station. You understand, I’m sure.”

“For what it’s worth, I do,” Zexion replied as he settled down into the chair. Xemnas nodded, then closed and locked the door. As he headed back to Zexion’s abandoned station, he pulled out his phone and called Xigbar again. Even if his surrender was inevitable, there were still loose ends to cut. And knowing his second, Xigbar would be further driven to act on petty revenge. Another body or two in the man’s ledger would hardly tip the scales at this rate-- in for a penny, in for a pound.

“Ignore whatever leads you think you have and head to the Academy,” he ordered as soon as the call went through. “The boy is there, and possibly not alone. I estimate you have another hour or two before the operation is terminated-- use the time as you see fit. We may not be able to contain the leak, but we can curtail the severity.”

He left the computers alone, but picked up Zexion’s abandoned phone, quickly scanning the texts that had accumulated during their brief walk down the hall. His eyes narrowed as he recognized several numbers, if not the names--or codenames, most likely-- and he headed out into the hall, phone in hand.

He stood in the doorway for a moment, wondering how many other holes he’d missed in what he’d considered to be a tight-knit team less than three hours ago. No one looked up at his approach, no one acted guilty in the slightest, and perhaps that was the most upsetting aspect of the whole affair. Not the inevitable fall; he’d always known there was a high probability that things would fall apart despite his efforts, but he’d considered the calculated risk worth the known benefits of taking action. Given the chance, he would have taken the same actions with only a few changes (personnel being one such thing).

It was their casual indifference as they worked so diligently to tear down everything he’d managed to save and rebuild. Their sycophantic smiles as they’d quietly worked behind his back to undermine all of his efforts. Even now, he had no way of knowing if they were actually doing what he’d told them, or if he’d simply given them a place to hide in plain sight.

Still, enough was enough. He cleared his throat, and the sound of rapid typing slowed as his officers looked up. He held up the phone, the small black bug creature from Lux’s damn game (because of _course_ it was Lux, _of course)_  skittering around Zexion’s screen. A few of them had the decency to go pale as they recognized their positions, but no one said anything.

“Lexaeus, Xaldin, Argentum, Ashtear, with me,” he said, waiting for some further reaction, but as with Zexion, none of them looked surprised, although Ashtear looked a touch smug. She had the audacity to salute as she passed, and laughed as he raised an eyebrow. He turned to the remaining officers, frowning. “Get back to work,” he said, then pointed at the machines now vacant. “And turn those off.”

The four didn’t question him as he lead them down the hall, and no one resisted as he locked them in separate rooms. As he closed the final door, he decided against returning to the floor to check on the progress so far-- if there’d been any to begin with, given the number of people actively working against the operation. Instead, he returned to his office and closed the the door, knowing that if they had any updates they’d let him know in due time.

He looked down at the confiscated phone, pulling up various windows to see what else Zexion had been up to as he sent off damning packages of evidence. And then he saw it, a map with notes scrawled in a font so small it was impossible to read at a glance. He tapped on the screen, trying to expand the image, but the phone chimed, and a screen popped up, asking for a password.

He didn’t bother trying to break into the phone, it hardly seemed worth the effort to try hacking into his chief security officer’s personal account. Besides, he’d seen enough at a glance to get general coordinates. He called up the dispatch officer to relay specific city blocks for the teams to investigate, then sat back to consider his options, limited as they were.

\- - -

“Hold that for as long as you can, I’m getting a call.” Aqua adjusted his hold on the keyblade hilt and then stepped into the hallway to answer her phone, leaving Roxas with a keyblade nearly twice as wide and a lot spikier than the one he’d originally manifested. It was _heavy_ and trying to focus on holding this design made his the back of his teeth ached, up through his skull to the space behind his eyes.

Still, Aqua had shown him six different designs in as many minutes, so he’d have to learn how to work through the discomfort if he was going to incorporate keyblades into his practice from now on. And he _was_ going to do it, he was already looking forward to training under Aqua, although he’d feel a bit guilty leaving Cloud after all the professor had done for him over the last year. Maybe they could still meet up for jogging or something, since Strife had always insisted that he would never pick up a keyblade again.

The two parts of the keyblade began to slip as he lost focus, and he cleared his mind, redoubling his efforts to keep the shape of the blade in his mind. Aqua believed he’d be able to do this, and if he was going to show her he could, he _needed_ to concentrate. He could feel guilty about abandoning practice with Cloud later.

Aqua came back into the room, face grim, and began packing up the items she’d brought along for their operation. He dropped the keyblade and the pressure diminished immediately, although now he had worries of a different kind.

“Is everything ok?” he asked, handing her the extra cords and laptop she’d brought along. She shook her head, making quick work of the room and explaining while she worked.

“Zexion’s been compromised, and none of the other officers who went to the precinct have checked in. Spoofing teams are hearing chatter that their areas are being targeted. We need to move, now.” She headed over to the computer to bring it out of sleep mode, TRON jumping up to attention as she approached. “How are we on the transfer?”

“About 85% on the physical drive, but as you said, with more of my bots getting shut down, it’s taking longer and longer to pull everything,” TRON sighed, showing the map of his ‘army’ slowly going dark. “At this current rate of attrition, copying over the remaining files will take another 40 minutes or so.”

“We don’t have that kind of time, we’ll have to make due with what we’ve been able to pull,” she said, reaching over to unplug the storage tower. TRON jumped and held up his hands, waving furiously until she paused.

“Hold on a sec!”

TRON held up a wriggling box icon, then made a show of sending it into the drive. It disappeared in a blink, and then TRON gave them the thumbs up to remove the drive. As Aqua unplugged it and packed it away, Roxas leaned in to talk to TRON.

“What was that?”

“Something my guys found while going through all of your brother’s files-- a member of the Organization program. It looks like it’s a bit of code he adopted and made into his own little program-- I guess it’s like my little brother!” TRON laughed, hands on hips. “Don’t worry, I made a quick and dirty ‘how to’ guide for you to open when you get to your next location.”

Roxas frowned. “Won’t you be there to make it run?”

TRON shook his head. “There isn’t enough room on the storage drive for both me AND those files. Don’t worry!” he said, noticing Roxas’ expression. “The instructions are thorough enough that you should be able to set it up and get it operational without too much difficulty. It’s a little buggy and free-spirited, but you should be able to get it to cooperate, once it understands what you need.”

“But what will happen to _you_?” Roxas pressed, thinking about all of the other team locations going dark around the city. “Can you install yourself on Squall’s drive?”

“No time!” TRON replied, although he didn’t seem too upset about it. “I’m concentrating all of my efforts on your cloud upload so you have as much to work with as possible before my session is terminated.”

“But--”

“We’ve got to go, Roxas,” Aqua interrupted. She hefted the bag higher on her shoulder, then turned to TRON. “I trust that you’ll follow protocol when the next person enters the room?”

“I’ve already uploaded Professor Leonhart’s files and personal settings to the cloud so he can quickly rebuild his profile on a new system.” TRON sniffed. “He’ll be happier with a newer unit anyway, the specifications on this one are ancient, at least two years old.”

“Wait, you mean you’re going to--?”

“Protocol dictates destruction of the hard drive to prevent further access. Don’t worry!” TRON smiled. Roxas thought he looked remarkably chipper for someone who was talking about effectively killing himself via computer meltdown. TRON stood with his hands on his hips, puffing out his chest. “I’ll keep uploading files until the very end. And I’m uploading updates to User Nobody, so you can always get a copy of me from her.”

“Nobody?”

“ _Roxas_ ,” Aqua repeated, gesturing to the door. “We need to move. Now. There’s chatter that some vans are en route to the school, they’ll be sure to check this wing first and we need to be gone, _now_.”

“TRON, I…” Roxas didn’t know what else to say-- he had even _more_ questions now, and there wasn’t enough time for a proper goodbye, and he didn’t even know if he’d have a copy of TRON when--and _if_ \-- they found his laptop, and TRON was just standing there with a stupid smile on his face, dressed in his glowing armor once again.

“It’s been a real pleasure, User,” TRON replied, and gave him a salute. “I’m sure we’ll meet again, one day, but for now, take care. And leave the rest to me!”

Aqua gently nudged him out the door, guiding him down the hallway at a rapid clip. He could hear the whir of machines running in every room they passed, and he briefly wondered if whoever was coming to shut them down would go through and unplug every one, one by one, or if they’d just shut down the power to each building. Would TRON even know it was coming? He swallowed, and tried not to think about it. AI or not… TRON had become one of his closest friends, and the only one to not yell at him while he wallowed in angst over Axel.

He looked at Aqua, and felt a stab of guilt, knowing he was being stupid when living, breathing people were putting their lives on the line.

“Do you think Zexion will be ok?” he asked, feeling guilty that he hadn’t asked anything earlier, knowing that the quiet man had probably been with Aqua and Terra from the beginning. Ven would’ve been disappointed in him, too-- after all, they’d been friends of a sort, at least, that’s what he thought. Aqua gave him a quick smile, although it was tight and didn’t reach her eyes.

“Zee is tougher than he looks,” she replied, and it sounded like she was trying to convince herself. “The best thing we can do for now is get to the next location and begin decryption on these files. Hopefully the tool TRON loaded onto the drive will help us locate enough evidence to give the higher ups enough ammunition to seize control. The sooner we can put a stop to things, the better.”

“If it’s a program, I’ll have it running like a charm in no time, I can squash any bugs I find,” he said. “And if it’s an AI, I’ll use my charming personality to get it to do what we want.”

Aqua’s laughter was so heartfelt and unexpected that he wasn’t even offended.

\- - -

Xemnas was a tough boss to please at the best of times. He expected your all, _all_ the time, and if you made one minor slipup, well, you were _not_ gonna be happy. Even if it wasn’t your fault-- and even if you made it perfectly obvious that it wasn’t your fault-- mess up in even a minor way and you were screwed.

Mess up in a _major_ way, and, well, you may as well pick out your plot and write up your will. Xemnas didn’t handle screw ups well.

But Xigbar wasn’t ready to push up daisies yet, and he still had some time to prove that he was worth another chance. Lux had been a black mark on his previously unblemished record-- two, if you counted the older brother, too. So it wasn’t just Xemnas who was pissed, _he_ wanted revenge on the fuckers, too.

But he had to find them both, first. The older one was easy enough, given that he was more or less a vegetable on days when the docs came in, and had limited mobility the rest of the time. He’d be quick with that one-- just pop in and then pop out, just enough time to end it and get out before the guards came back.

The younger one, well, that would be more difficult. He’d thought the kid might be in the hospital-- he’d gotten kinda roughed up last night, and he was scared enough that he’d probably wanna stay with his big bro for the night, under lock and key. He hadn’t gone back to his apartment-- Xigbar had checked, after they brought in Highwind, but the kid had cleared out the stuff he _hadn’t_ tossed.

Xemnas’ big tip hadn’t panned out either-- he arrived to a whole lot of nothing and yet another smoking PC as he tried to wake it up, although he did manage to see the animated avatar throw him a lewd gesture before there was a pop and sparks. Xigbar resisted the urge to shoot the damn thing out of spite-- a waste of bullets and time, which, as Xemnas had called to inform him, was rapidly running out.

He could bolt, of course, try to make it to the islands or the mountains or any other region at the edge of the Academy’s control. It’d be easy enough to find work, make a new life, start over and pretend the whole damn thing had never happened.

Or he could finish what he set out to do, hunt down the little fucker who’d brought everything crashing down and spend whatever time he could carve out making the kid pay for being such a pain in the ass.

He liked the second option better.

Xigbar slouched into the swivel chair and glared at the smoking computer as he tried to figure out what hidey-hole the younger Lux had crawled into. He’d probably gone to a friend’s place, but he couldn’t hide out forever. And if he was causing mischief, he probably wasn’t gonna do it form a traceable location. He’d want someplace quiet, someplace familiar, where he wouldn’t be disturbed and he’d know the ins and outs to the location like the back of his hand. Someplace like….

Damned if he knew.

But he knew someone who _might_ know, so he pulled out his phone and dialed, pleased when the call went through and a disgruntled voice came over the phone.

“This isn’t a good time, what do you--?”

Xigbar cut him off. “Did your friend ever say anything about places Lux liked to work? Like, did he go to the library, or was there a place at school, or--”

“Axel is no longer seeing the boy,” Saix cut him off in turn, voice clipped and precise. “I told you that. And I haven’t seen Axel since the night I called you, so I don’t know what additional information you expect me to have. Axel’s dalliance with Lux is over, so I assumed this task was similiarly concluded.”

“You don’t remember him mentioning picking the kid up anywhere? Places the two of them hung out?” He was pushing his luck, he knew, but there had to be _something_ he could use.

There was an irritated sigh, and Xigbar could hear the rustle of papers on the man’s desk. Still working at this time of night? Commendable, but what was the point of working into the long hours into the night if you weren’t going to gather information of any use?

“While they were involved, I imagine they went to all sorts of places,” Saix replied, and Xigbar could hear the loathing in the man’s voice, not that he really cared. “They went to Luxords a few times, there’s a restaurant, _Tilmitt’s_ , that Axel is particularly fond of and it’s close to his workplace, so they probably went there from time to time. There’s the ice cream parlor, I can’t remember the name but it’s down by the Struggle arena. I don’t know if the boy has any particular favorite spots, I only know what Axel tends to like.”

“And you can’t remember them meeting anywhere else, anywhere the kid might want to go or hide out for a bit?”

“Axel usually met him at the hospital,” Saix replied after a moment. “They spent a lot of time there, when they weren’t at the boy’s apartment, fucking like rabbits.” The tone shifted from irritated to mildly concerned. “Axel isn’t in any danger, is he?”

“Fuck if I know,” Xigbar replied, already turning his car towards the downtown. He hadn’t heard any chatter on the coms about the hospital being affected, and it made sense-- why risk your base of operations in a strike? It was a lead to check out, at least.

“Well, I’ll let you know if I hear anything, but it’s doubtful, given that it’s past ten on a work night,” the voice was back to bland indifference, but Xigbar had heard that fleeting moment of concern, probably more for Axel than the kid. Not that he really cared, to each his own. “Good night, Detective.” The dismissal was final, and he hung up without another word.

Xigbar growled at the sound of a dial tone, and slipped his phone back in his pocket. So he’d check out the hospital, nothing to lose except a little time and a bit of gas. Although, time wasn’t really on his side right now, not with Xemnas breathing down his neck. He was kinda surprised he hadn’t gotten any more pissy calls, to be honest, but then they were probably up to their necks in shit at the precinct, so it was probably just as well. Still, a well-placed call could get him a little more time….

It was late, but having the direct number to a private line meant that he’d be able to get through no matter what time he called. Of course, it was meant to be used only for emergencies, but then, that’s what this whole night was about, wasn’t it? Putting out fires, finding the perpetrators, delivering justice… As he expected, the call was answered within four rings.

“Yes?” came the raspy voice, slightly out of breath and irritated, so Xigbar knew that the man was probably at least a _little_ aware of what was going on in his city.

“Mr Governor, good evening sir, I’m sorry to call you so late, but--”

“What’s this about? Is Xemnas sending you over here to fix things?” The old man sounded _pissed_ , and Xigbar resisted the urge to cackle. Better than he’d even hoped, and he was _definitely_ going to exploit that.

“What? The captain hasn’t debriefed you yet?” he hoped the surprise sounded sincere, but he’d been betting on Xemnas not calling Xehanort if he could avoid it, at least, not til he’d had a better handle on the situation and everything that was going on. The man was too much of a perfectionist to risk getting the governor’s panties in a twist over a prank.

Still, the man hadn’t gotten to where he was without merit, and the reply was more cautious, if angrier. “I am getting reports from my people that there’s been a disturbance in communication channels across the city,” Xehanort replied. “Is there more to it than a simple technical difficulty?”

“Oh, now, sir, I don’t have all the information, I was just calling to see if you’d gotten any updates from your people about the situation around town,” he replied, and he _wished_ he could be a fly on the wall at the governor’s mansion right now. Hell, he wanted to know what it was like at the police station, too, but he wasn’t gonna risk a call to get his ass chewed out again. Plus, he had a feeling that Xemnas was about to get a whole lot busier.

“Yeah, I don’t really have all of the information,” he continued, taking the exit that would get him back to the Struggle Arena. “You’re gonna have to talk to bossman about the details, I’m just the soldier in the field.”

Xehanort didn’t even bother replying; the phone went dead, and Xigbar let out a cackle, turning off the phone and pulling out into traffic again. Xemnas would be pissed, but they were all in this together, and Xigbar had enough dirt on all the stooges to send them away for life in exchange for a full pardon. In the meantime, he had a couple of new leads to follow, and nothing but time-- and a punkass kid-- to kill.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter title is from KH2, specifically Tron's world (part 2).


	20. Thirteenth Discretion

After the intensity of getting whisked off to the safe house, then getting dropped off at the school, then taking yet _another_ trip to set up in another nondescript office, the small conference room in which Roxas found himself was surprisingly serene. Not that he had a chance to enjoy it. As soon as they’d pulled up to the hospital, Reno met them at the door and escorted them to the room the Turks had commandeered for their own operations. That meant that there was plenty of tech to go around, and, more importantly, a decent coffee machine.

“I’ve got a unit over here all set up and ready to go,” Reno said, leading them over to a desktop at one corner of the room. “I’ve got some of the files from the cloud server, too, but the upload process is at a crawl and the stuff I’ve tried to open is all encrypted so we can’t make heads or tails of it. Hope you’ve got a key.”

“We might be able to help,” Aqua said, setting down her bag and extracting the storage tower. Roxas helped her plug it in, and they waited with bated breath as the computer began reading the disk. There was a loud whirring noise, the screen flickered, and then in a flurry of pixels, the program-- AI, similar to TRON, if Roxas had to guess-- launched itself from the folder and drifted across the screen, investigating the folders and files saved to the desktop.

“...What the fuck is _that?”_ Reno asked, leaning over Roxas’ shoulder to investigate. Roxas pushed him back a bit, then focused on searching the keyboard for audio options.

“I think it’s an AI that’s going to help us decrypt the files Ven stored away,” he said, finding the switch for the speakers to turn them on. This caught the program’s attention, and it flitted after the cursor as Roxas moved to activate the computer’s webcam and mic as well.

“Why the fuck is it shaped like a psychedelic bat?” Reno pressed, and Roxas sighed, pausing the mouse long enough that the bat ‘caught’ the cursor and started chewing on it.

“I’ll add it to the list of questions to ask my brother when he’s feeling better,” Roxas promised, then shifted the mouse away from the bat and back to the folder to click on the readme file TRON had left. Hopefully they were decent instructions-- the bat didn’t seem to be responding to their voices at all, just the cursor. It flitted away and clung to the top of the screen as Roxas double-clicked on the file and began to read.

> _INSTRUCTIONS FOR KOMORY DECRYPTION:_
> 
>   *   _ _Load program__
> 

>   * _Select files to decrypt_
> 

>   * _Allow program to run_
> 

> 
>   _Tip: KOMORY began as a pet emulator, and affection stimulates and boosts performance!_

Roxas tried scrolling further down the page, and going through the main directory yielded no more results, so apparently that was it. As the cursor moved, the bat thing followed, latching onto the cursor when he paused his search. He sighed, watching the little things ‘chewing’ away at the readme file.

“Wow, TRON, that was like… the worst set of instructions ever,” he said, then he turned to Aqua and Reno for help. “Do either of you have any ideas?”

“Try clicking on one of the decrypted files,” suggested Aqua, tapping the folder Reno had already pulled to the desktop. “Maybe it just needs to be shown what to work on.”

Roxas did as she suggested, choosing a file with a long string of numbers and letters at random, then he double-clicked on it. The bat swooped in and played an animation of it biting away at the file name, and a few seconds later, it flew back to the top of the screen to ‘perch.’ The file was now showing up with the name “Third District Electric Grid,” and when Roxas clicked on it again, a large blueprint opened, displaying what looked like… well, what could only be described as a power grid laid out along city streets and through buildings, specifically city streets in the Downtown Third District. Nothing remarkable, and yet--

“I’ll get to work on getting these decrypted in batches, are there other systems we can bring up to cross-check the files with what’s on record?” he asked, and Reno was already powering on two more laptops, and Aqua had hers out as well, and was typing furiously.

“First step is the get the file names decrypted,” she said, rapidly typing into her phone, no doubt giving Terra an update on the situation. “You concentrate on that, Reno and I can start work on scanning them for names, dates, anything that we can use to sufficiently prove there’s evidence of a cover up or data manipulation.”

Aqua set down her phone and had just started to typing again when the phone chimed yet again. She glanced at it, then swore, surprising both Reno and Roxas enough to startle them from their screens. She turned to Reno, expression intent.

“A cord to connect the phone?” she asked, and Reno stumbled out of his chair. After digging around one of the cabinets for a few minutes, he handed her the cord, and she plugged in her phone. A folder appear almost immediately, and the PC quickly downloaded a zipped file. Roxas leaned over, despite the pressing need to keep feeding Komory files.

“What is it?” he asked, watching as she unzipped the folder and began opening files. She grimaced in response.

“Zexion sent us everything he was able to gather before Xemnas shut him down,” she said, voice tight. Reno patted her on the shoulder, smiling despite the grim implications.

“He’s a smart guy, and he’s gonna be fine,” he promised. He leaned over her shoulder as she continued to scan file after file. “Anything we can use?”

She squinted at the screen, then shook her head, making a sound of disgust. “Evidence of terrible things being done, but nothing specific enough to link it back to people who aren’t already dead or in jail,” she said, then caught Roxas’s gaze and barked, “Focus, Lux! We need those files _now_!”

Roxas jumped and went back to experimenting with file selections, going down the list and highlight groups of 20 or so files at a time. The bat watched, but didn’t react until he dragged them onto the desktop, at which point it dive-bombed the batch of files and began decrypting again.

“Hey, is there a way we can link these computers? Looks like I can make a shared folder and drop them in directly and Komory here will handle them for us.”

“One sec,” Reno said, and in less than five minutes, they had a system in place. Roxas grabbed batches of files from the drive TRON had filled, then dropped them into a shared folder. Komory began decrypting them immediately, and as they unlocked, Aqua and Reno opened and scanned each one.

Some were duds, apparently pulled because they included keywords like “MAKO” or “energy,” but there were a few times when Aqua made an excited noise, or when Reno laughed and scribbled down a note. They talked aloud as more files began piling up in their “Of_Interest” folder, noting when they came across a discrepancy in numbers that had been signed off by one person or another, or when there were multiple names of interest mentioned in throw-away notes and memos.

When Roxas ran out of files from TRON’s original cache, he moved onto the cloud, pulling files as quickly as he could, trying not to notice how the upload percentage hadn’t moved in ten minutes. He tried not to think about what that meant, and instead focused on pulling from folders they hadn’t seen in the other collection. As Komory got to work and the first of the new files began to reveal their original names, Roxas rolled back and motioned Aqua and Reno over.

“I think we found it!” he said, trying not to sound too excited, not wanting to jump the gun, but they’d come across a cache of what looked like emails with innocuous enough subject lines, but _who_ was speaking to _whom_ was the real find.

“Why would Governor Xehanort and Captain Xemnas be corresponding with General Sephiroth?” he asked, clicking on one email and opening it to see what they’d been talking about. “And how would Ven’s program find something like this? Wouldn’t they delete the history and clear records of it?”

“We backup everything,” Aqua said, grim smile on her face. “For just this reason-- we serve the people, and we have to account for all of our actions. The system is set up so that nothing is ever truly gone, if you know where to look and how to get it.”

“And Ven figured it out,” Roxas said, wondering how his brother had done it. If and when he was up to it again, they were going to have to sit down for an extensive coding sessions so Roxas could learn more tricks and grill him for details.

“Actually, Zee studied under the main architect for the system, so he probably knew enough to jumpstart the search,” she said, skimming the email’s contents. She pulled open another and began to skim that as well, then another, then another.

Roxas read the series of correspondences as she scrolled through, and felt his heart begin to sink as section after section scrolled down the screen. It looked like it had something to do with supplies and officers assigned to supply chains-- nothing really incriminating, despite the big names attached to it. Aqua made a satisfactory noise, however, and took control of the computer for a moment, creating a new folder and naming it “Jackpot.” She then dragged the email into the folder, then went into the next decrypted file.

“What’s so exciting about that last email?” he asked, watching her rapidly go through and pull out emails seemingly at random. But she was focused now, and smiled as she continued to fill her new folder.

“You didn’t notice anything off about their conversation?” she asked, and he had to admit that no, he hadn’t looked. She didn’t seem that upset, but she pulled up the original file for him to read as she pulled out her phone. “Give it another read, I have some calls to make.”

She stood up and walked over to the corner to make herself some more coffee as she spoke in a low tone to… whoever. Probably Terra, but Roxas didn’t bother spending too much time listening in. She’d tell him what he needed to know when she was done, if he hadn’t figured it out already.

Unfortunately, no matter how much he read the emails, how much he looked for clues, he just didn’t _see_ anything. Maybe the number of shipments to the facility was high? He had no clue, he’d never even _seen_ unrefined MAKO before, not outside of pictures, anyway. It seemed logical that a facility that focused on training soldiers with the stuff would need a fair amount of raw materials, but then again, the infusions Ven got were in small doses, despite how long process took. Maybe they were using it for something else?

When she sat down again, she looked exhausted, but happier than she’d been in a long, long time. “Still nothing?” she asked, and when he shook his head, she patted him on the shoulder. Then, she pointed to the the header of the email, which contained the subject line, the sender and recipients, and the date. “See it now?”

“No…?” he said, still not sure of what he was supposed to see, and wondering if this was going to reflect badly on him. This was his test, after all, and if he didn’t see anything that she thought was so blindingly obvious, maybe she’d start second guessing her offer to sponsor him.

She frowned, then her expression softened as she came to some conclusion. “I forget how young you were when all of this took place. The date,” she said, tapping at the year. “They were talking to Sephiroth and discussing key strategic travel routes and suppliers _at the time he was officially declared AWOL and wanted for war crimes._ ”

“What… what does that mean?” he asked, knowing it probably was as bad as it sounded, but not sure what level of bad and what it would entail for anyone who wasn’t already dead or in jail. Aqua went back to her email curation, skimming more and more emails as she spoke.

“It means that they colluded with the man responsible for hundreds of deaths and the destruction of half of the city,” she replied. “Which means that we now have the ammunition we need to arrest them and keep them from getting away. And as we continue to sort through the rest of these files, we’re going to find every bit of evidence we can to ensure that they pay for all that they’ve done.”

She smiled, bright and happy, despite the exhaustion worn into her face. “This is what we’ve been looking for, what we’ve been working towards for years,” she said. Roxas jumped as she reached down to give him a hug. “We’ve done it.” She gave him another squeeze, and then it was back to business, although there was a definite cheer in her voice now.

“Keep looking, it will only bury them deeper. They’re going to pay for what they’ve done.”

 - - -

Xigbar was a dead man.

He’d already been a dead man earlier in the evening, of course, but now he was a _doomed_ dead man, and Xemnas was going to personally see to it that the man suffered in terrible and creative ways before he finally perished. He was a clever man, he had plenty of options. The only thing he did _not_ have was time, because his entire evening was suddenly and inexplicably taken up by one very angry, and very worried public official.

“As I said, I _am_ handling it,” Xemnas repeated for the third time, twirling the pencil between his fingers. He wished he still had the dart board in the room, he could really go for throwing something. Or the old practice dummy and a knife he’d kept in his office until HR told him it was unsettling some of the younger staff. He’d settle for stabbing something, too.

“That’s not what my people are saying,” Xehanort said. “They say your men are wandering around the city like idiots, flicking light switches and letting the hackers scatter as soon as the lights go on.”

“We’ve found some of the sources of the infiltration and have effectively stopped the leaks,” Xemnas repeated, wondering if he should even bother explaining it all again. Usually in these types of situations he’d simply hang up on the offending party and refuse their calls until they’d had a chance to calm down. Unfortunately, one could not just hang up on the governor without serious repercussions, and he didn’t need to contend with yet another hostile front. “We simply have a few residual pockets of clean up, but the incident is already winding down.”

“Your man indicated otherwise, made it sound like you had no idea what you’re doing, and frankly, given the severity of this attack, I’m inclined to agree with him.”

 _A_ _dead man walking._

“Mr. Governor, Sir, with all due respect, turning off the power grid for the entire city is not as simple as flicking a master switch. I admit, my grasp of Radiant Garden’s utility facilities are not as thorough as Preston’s, but--”

“Preston’s boy could make quick work of it,” interrupted Xehanort. “Told him from the start, when Pres stepped down and the boy took his place, I told him he had big shoes to fill and we’d be happy to help him with the job. Boy knows he owes what’s left of the company to our efforts. He owes us, he could do it.”

“The only reason why Rufus Shinra had a company to inherit when his father went to jail is because he is competent enough to know overstepping his limitations will not endear him to the public, the goodwill of whom funds his entire economic empire. Forcing his hand to shut down parts of the grid will only result in throwing the city into further chaos, and I do not have the manpower to handle such an action,” Xemnas replied, then pressed on before the old man could start up again.

“Even with the addition of your people, and even calling in above for assistance from external branches, we would not have enough people to contain the havoc you’re proposing on the town. You might have been the guiding hand to build this city, but _I_ am charged with its safety, and I will not let you do this. If I must, I will have you detained so that my people can work in peace.”

“You dare threaten _me_ \--”

“I have work to do,” Xemnas snarled, and slammed the phone back into its cradle. There was an audible crack of plastic but he didn’t care; the man had the _gall_ to try blasting the city to bits, just to clear out some lingering vermin. He would _not_ allow his city to fall into ruin over some petty power-play. He’d done terrible things in his time, but it was for his _city_ , and he was damned if he’d let some dried out husk of a politician tear it asunder. Just as well that Xehanort hadn’t know that there were already embarrassing files floating about, quite possibly in the hands of those who could write warrants for their arrest.

“Still so impetuous, after all these years,” came the low, gentle and unexpected voice from the doorway. Xemnas hadn’t even heard the door open; at the sound, he snapped the pencil in half and spun in his chair, staring up at an old and familiar face.

General Wiseman smiled amiably, and walked into the room to sit in the chair across from him without waiting to be invited. Instead, he leaned back in his chair and clasped his hands over one knee, and Xemnas recognized the familiar pose from his days at University all those years ago, when the General was little more than a captain and a respected faculty member.

“General Wiseman,” Xemnas started, throat dry. The older man put up a hand to stop him, a sad, disappointed smile on his face. Xemnas crumpled back into his seat, watching his old mentor get comfortable. A part of him had always known that if he was going to get caught, if his part in the tangled web that was the Sephiroth Incident came to light of day, Wiseman would be behind it.

But they were still the same familiar, kind eyes that looked at him so sorrowfully, and it was the familiar, relaxed pose the man took when he was settling in for a long lecture. Two guards stood inside the room, weapons at the ready, so there was no pretense of what was happening. Still, Wiseman shook his head.

“I’ll always be Ansem to you, my dear boy, no matter what our roles or titles.” He gave a low sigh. “I admit, I haven’t kept up with you as frequently as I should have, but I would have liked to think we remained friends, despite our parting of ways. I am disappointed in what I’ve been hearing though, young man. It seems you’ve gotten yourself in somewhat of an awkward position.”

The general leaned back and gestured for him to speak. “Why don’t you tell me what you’ve been up to, son?”

 - - -

“They found your guy,” Reno’s voice crackled over the phone. “He’s a little cranky but otherwise ok, they locked him up when they found out he was helping with the operation. He’s with the rest of the team now, keeping the big guy under surveillance and quieting down the network. Apparently the bots did their thing and all of the files your bro found have been retrieved.”

“So you caught all of them?” asked Roxas, looking up at Aqua, feeling his heart swell in his chest. It was over. It was _over_. It was over and he’d made it out ok, no one had gotten hurt--

“Who’s missing?” asked Aqua, cutting through Roxas’ thoughts as Reno’s silence dragged on.

“I think we got the guys who gave the kid such a bad time yesterday night, but their leader seems to be MIA.” Reno had his phone out and was scanning for updates, but shrugged after a minute. No new developments, then.

“Xemnas?” Roxas asked, giving Aqua a worried look.

“Nah, he’s going through a private grilling session with General Wiseman, although he lawyered up and isn’t saying much without getting a plea bargain. It’s the second in command, Xigbar. Apparently he peaced out right as stuff started going down-- he was probably tasked to find you, kid.”

“So he’s still out there.”

“And if he’s under radio silence, then yeah, he doesn’t know things have gone to hell yet. You should probably get to a safe location until we find him.”

“He won’t let you find him, he told me himself, he trained under Sephiroth. That means he’s prepared for anything. Unless…” he trailed off, trying to figure out logistics and whether or not Xigbar would be within earshot to take the bait.

He weighed the risks, ran through possible scenarios in his head, but he couldn’t think of a better solution. There were a lot of pros to his idea: If it worked, they could capture Xigbar without getting any more people hurt, and it could be over tonight. He could (potentially) be home and meeting up with Axel again by tomorrow afternoon. And by the end of the month, Ven might be able to come _home_.

The only real con he could think of was that he could end up dead, but really, he had his bubblewrap armor, he’d be fine.

“I have an idea,” he said, and as he spoke, Aqua’s frown deepened. Reno seemed to be more open to the plan, however, and in the end, Aqua agreed albeit with very vocal objections.

Despite the hour, it took little effort to get everything up and in place. The calls had been made, the trap was set, and now all they had to do was load the bait. He felt a pang of guilt at that-- Axel would kill him for this, but it was the only thing he could think of. Maybe Reno could put in a good word for him, or better yet, _not_ tell Axel how things had really gone down.

But really, all that remained was everyone getting into positions. Still, he hesitated, afraid that his plan could backfire and cause more damage to people who had already been through so much. He glanced at Aqua who waited at a respectful distance away, not pushing, but clearly ready to move.

“I’ll be right there,” Roxas said. He looked back into the room, and his shoulders slumped. “I just need to say goodbye. You know. Just... just in case.”

Her expression softened and she nodded, stepping out of the room to wait for him.

Ven sat in his usual chair, staring out the window-- or he would have been, if the curtains hadn’t been closed hours ago. Maybe he was staring at the Galbanna lilies, a bright spot of red against the cool tones of white and hospital blue. Maybe he’d fallen asleep with his eyes open. When he was like this, it was impossible to tell what was going on.

Roxas sighed, crouching down in front of his brother and taking Ven’s hands in his. “I’ve gotta go,” he said, giving the hands a gentle squeeze. He gulped around the tight knot in his throat, drawing in a deep breath before he spoke. “I don’t-- I dunno when I’ll be able to come visit again. If everything works the way it should, I can be back in here tomorrow and tell you all about it. If I don’t make it back-- If I’m late, don’t be too angry with me. And tell Xion I’m sorry I couldn’t wait.”

Roxas leaned forward and gave Ven a fierce hug, hearing the steady, strong, slow beat of his brother’s heart. Ven sat there, unaffected by the faint dampness of tears against his shoulder. “I’m going to end this,” promised Roxas, his voice a low whisper. “For you, and for Mom and Dad.”

“Roxas, we’ve got confirmation of approach,” Aqua called from the doorway, and he pulled away, wondering if Ven had even registered anything he’d just said.

“Y-yeah, coming,” Roxas called over his shoulder. He gave Ven one final look, then turned heel and hurried out of the room, allowing Aqua to close the door with a quiet click.

 - - -

**_//Affirmative, the king is in his castle, over.//_ **

Xigbar tapped his fingers on the top of the steering wheel, considering his options. On the one hand, there’d been a hell of a lot of chatter about units going in and going silent, which meant that somewhere along the line someone had fucked up. But whether it was Xemnas’ team or some _other_ faction trying to pull a coup, he wasn’t sure. Whoever it was, it sounded like they’d secured the station, and given that it wasn’t Xemnas’ voice, it left him to conclude that his boss had fallen from his perch in power.

That left him with few options. He could turn tail and run, find one of his caches and see how far he could make it. But running meant more charges stacked on top of everything he’d already managed to rack up, which meant his only other real option was to finish the mission and clean up loose ends. He’d lost track of the one Lux brat, of course, but the other had a convenient tendency to stay in one place.

**_//We’re pulling all units for a manhunt; repeat, all units report back to headquarters for emergency assignments, over.//_ **

And things didn’t get more convenient than _that._

Still, he knew how these things went. He gave the Turks 20 minutes to confirm that they were to leave their current post, and another 20 minutes for them to get a reasonable distance away before he moved in. He was wearing his uniform, and he kept his gait at a languid, relaxed pace, so no one batted an eye when he strolled in and headed down the familiar corridor.

He signed in at the nurses’ station, chatted up the pretty brunette on duty for a few minutes before ambling down the hall. So far, so good. The door was unguarded, too, as the radio had confirmed, but he hadn’t gotten this far by taking things at face value.

The ward was more or less deserted which was to be expected, given that there weren’t any other patients under protective custody at the moment. Still, he checked the other rooms, scanning them to confirm that they were empty before slipping into Lux’s room and closing the door behind himself with a quiet click.

Lux was in a chair by the window, hands folded serenely in his lap, all of his attention focused on staring out into the darkness. He didn’t even react when Xigbar flipped off the overhead light, making the night lights flicker on and cast the room in a watery yellow glow. In fact, Ven didn’t look up until Xigbar walked over to the chair and patted him on the head, ruffling his hair before stepping back to give him a critical scan.

“Miss me, Blondie? I’ve been looking forward to seeing you again.”

Ven didn’t respond, he just sort of stared at Xigbar, although his face started showing a bit of tension. That was good. Meant there was enough of him aware of what was going on to make it a more satisfying kill -- nothing fun in offing a vegetable. He leaned against the wall to chat, grinning as Ven became noticeably more unsettled, shifting in his seat from side to side, his face muscles straining to show some sort of emotion, but the boy didn’t manage to move or even twitch, really.

“Damn, Lux, you’ve been such a pain in the ass, you know that?” Xigbar asked, voice cheerful. “Failed to kill yourself, and you didn’t even have the decency to stay a vegetable. Of course, Vexen fucked up, too-- he should’ve stuck around to make sure the job was done, but that’s why we don’t outsource these things, am I right?”

Ven stared back at Xigbar, unblinking, but his gaze seemed sharper, more alert. Xigbar scoffed, walking over to the bed and picking up a pillow. He fluffed it a couple of times, testing it for durability and filling. Satisfied, he walked over to Ven’s chair, crouching to get eye level. Ven’s eyes seemed to follow the movement, then trailed up to meet his.

“What is it they always say, if you can’t get anyone to do it right, do it yourself?” He pulled the pillow taut, looking Ven dead in the eye, smile on his face. “You always were a self-righteous little shit to work with, you know that?”

And then Ven smiled back, his smile showing a lot of teeth. “It runs in the family.”

 - - - -

Roxas wasn’t sure what was more terrifying, the fact that Xigbar was smiling at him as he was chatting about committing murder-- _his_ murder, to be precise-- or the fact that he’d surreptitiously been jabbing the ‘call nurse’ button since the officer walked in the room and neither Aqua or Reno had shown up yet. Until they showed up, he was on his own and he’d have to make do with his limited resources.

He might’ve felt less exposed if he hadn’t had to shuck the armor to slip into the hospital gown, but the hand that had quietly been attempting to use the call button was also the one with the Mark of Mastery medal. Without backup or much room to maneuver his options were limited, but now seemed like as good a time as any to use morally-grey bioweaponry.

As Xigbar startled backwards at the sudden animation of his victim, Roxas lunged forward with all the strength he could muster from the seated position, following Xigbar’s movement. He threw out his hand as his thumb pressed down on the activation button, and on cue, the keyblade hilt formed beneath his fingers and the blade extended into the thrust. It was the original and unadorned variation of the keyblade, but it was longer than before, clipping Xigbar in the chin and sending him reeling back.

Xigbar cursed, dropping the pillow and falling backwards, but Roxas was on him again, rolling out of the chair and into another swing, keyblade coming down in an arc aimed to stun. Just before head of the weapon could make contact, however, there was another flash of green light. Xigbar activated his own keyblade tech-- although it wasn’t a key, it looked like some sort of rifle or gunblade, Roxas could still make out the Mythril and MAKO adornments.

The block was enough to throw Roxas’ balance, however, and he fell back as Xigbar brought up his other hand to reveal a second weapon, identical to the first. The second weapon hit Roxas on the shoulder, the shoulder that was already tender from the attack the previous night. He’d found a nerve point, too; Roxas felt his arm go numb.

And then Xigbar was on the offensive, surging forward and punching with both the flats of his weapons like fists, managing a scratch across Roxas’s face before he was able to scramble back, putting the chair between himself and Xigbar.

It was a mistake. As soon as Xigbar regained his footing, he raised the weapon and fired, clipping the top of the chair and Roxas’ shoulder. Even numbered, it still burned, and he knew he’d have to stay in close to take away that advantage. Of course, that meant getting up close to the knife parts of the weapons, but he thought he’d be able to keep those blocked with his own blade. And Aqua and Terra would be here soon… right? They’d _literally_ been waiting in the next room, they’d hear the gunshot for sure.

“Stand by what I said,” Xigbar said, grunting with the effort as he swung his weapon towards Roxas. Roxas blocked the first weapon, but then the second came up under the keyblade hilt, slashing across his chest in a shallow, but painful cut. Roxas fell backwards and landed on the ground with a heavy thud, Xigbar’s knee pressed into the keyblade, pinning him in place. Roxas tried kicking him off, but Xigbar reached back and got off a shot, and Roxas’ vision went white.

Through the haze and roaring noise in his ears and the pain from the _gunshot wound in his calf what the HELL_ Roxas saw Xigbar raise his weapon again, preparing to shoot him point blank in the middle of his forehead.

“You Luxes are a fuckin’ pain in th--”

And then, everything happened at once.

There was a loud crack as a laptop hit the back of Xigbar’s head-- not hard enough to daze him, but enough to knock him off of Roxas, and more importantly, moving the gun just far enough to miss him as it went off. Ven stood above them, eyes _glowing_ green in the room’s dim lighting, furious and focused on Xigbar.

But Xigbar wasn’t down for the count, not yet-- he started to bring the guns up to aim at Ven, but Roxas used the distraction to bring up his blade and swing again, forcing Xigbar off of him the rest of the way and sending one of the guns skittering off across the floor.

Of course, that made his entire left side go numb as his body reminded him that, _hello_ , yes, bullet wound in the leg, maybe you shouldn’t move, but Xigbar was still _moving_ and Ven was just standing there with the laptop, why didn’t he _move?_ So Roxas used the keyblade to drag himself up to a position where he could lean against the chair, which fucking _hurt_ but he was up, at least a little, and Ven _finally_ moved but towards him, dropping the laptop as he stumbled towards the chair, hand outstretched.

There was a scrape of metal against tile as Xigbar found his second weapon, bringing it up to fire as soon as he had a clear shot of the Lux brothers. Roxas curled protectively over his brother’s catatonic form and braced for impact.

Roxas was dimly aware of voices in the hall, the sound of running boots thundering into the room, and the heavy, distinctive thud of a body hitting the floor.

For better or worse, it was over.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter title is from Chain of Memories OST.


	21. Dearly Beloved

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> <3
> 
> I have three more pieces of art for you!!  
> [Corvidfeathers drew Roxas in his fencing getup, preparing to take on anyone who gets in his way.](http://corvidfeathers.tumblr.com/post/175530947910/more-art-for-my-friend-sirladysketch-bc-im-still)  
> <3 <3 <3  
> [Also, you can see Demyx’s shark meme HERE](https://codingandkeyblades.tumblr.com/post/175513325461/it-feels-appropriate-that-the-first-real-post-of)  
>  Last but not least, I finally finished the cover art for this fic!

As he drifted back into consciousness, Roxas became aware of the strange shift in his surroundings. He was still laying down, but he was on his back, somewhere dark, soft, warm and and sort of itchy, and there was an annoying beeping sound that thudded at the back of his mind. He wasn’t in any pain, but as he started to come more fully awake, he realized he wasn’t really able to feel much of _anything_ , and he forced himself to open his eyes, trying to reach out and grip _something_ to sit up.

A warm hand closed around his, squeezing slightly, and another rested against his chest, keeping him in place and giving him a point of contact to dispel the slight dissociation. He shifted his head with great effort to look in the direction of the hands holding him down.

First, he saw red, but as his eyes finally refocused he saw that it was Axel, sitting on the edge of an unfamiliar bed and talking at him. Roxas forced himself to hone in on the sound and listen, trying to make sense of the words. Axel’s voice sharpened in his ears.

“--gave us a fright, but Aerith said the wounds are clean and you should be back up and running in no time.”

“Wounds?” Roxas rasped, then cleared his throat to try again. “What wounds?”

“You got shot in the leg, and a bullet grazed your shoulder. Not to mention you apparently had a fractured rib from an earlier attack, you complete and utter sunfish,” came another, higher voice, and Xion peeked over Axel’s shoulder, glaring down at him. Then her anger broke into a smile. “I’m furious with you and as soon as you get out of the hospital I’m going to make you regret the day you were born, but I’m really, _really_ glad you’re ok.”

“You really took one for the team,” came another familiar voice to the other side of Axel, and Ven gently patted his arm, his movements slow, but sure. “Surgery went well, but took longer than expected. You’re really lucky the bullet didn’t shatter the bone.”

Roxas swallowed, relief flooding him, even as he tried to remember _why_ he’d been so worried. His head was starting to clear, even if feeling didn’t return. He remembered getting shot by Xigbar, Ven hitting the man with a computer, and then more shots, but everything else after that was sort of blurry and confusing. He had vague memories of getting lifted off the floor, of getting his clothes cut away as people spoke over him, but the rest was a blank.

He focused on his leg, and he could _sorta_ feel the bandage if he really thought about it, but everything was sort of ... _floaty_. It was tough pinpointing where everything was, but he’d take their word for it. He could still feel Axel’s hand holding his, though-- that, at least, felt real. He gave it a squeeze-- or tried, anyway-- and got one back in return. Satisfied that his hand, at least, was working, he looked over at his brother.

“You’re ok?”

Ven nodded. “It takes more than that to take down a Lux.”

“Your eyes were glowing _green_ ,” Roxas pressed, and Ven shrugged, although he didn’t meet his eyes this time.

“Side effects,” was all he said, and Xion spoke up when it was clear Ven had nothing more to say.

“Anyway, Demyx said that they’re going to keep you another day or two, but when you’re up to it you’ve gotta file an official report on what happened,” she paused a beat, “probably once they’ve lowered your pain meds. Aqua said they want to make sure everything holds up in court.”

Roxas smiled at that, relief flooding through him. “She’s ok? Terra?”

“They’re both fine, you’re the only one who managed to get hurt,” Axel promised, then laughed. “Well, you managed to knock out one of Xigbar’s teeth and he’s got a concussion from the laptop and Terra punched him in the face when he resisted arrest, but he doesn’t count.”

“Laptop…” there was something about ‘laptop’ that niggled at the back of his mind, he remembered leaving it here for Ven, but there was something else, something… _someone_. Then, he remembered. He looked over at Ven. “Who is User Nobody? I need to get a new copy of TRON.”

“First of all, it’s _Nemo_ , and I’ve already handled it-- he’s ready whenever you find your laptop, or when you buy a new one,” Xion said. At his blank face, she sighed. “Captain Nemo? Had a submarine and went on undersea adventures? Classic book? They made a movie out of--- seriously? How did you graduate without reading it?”

“Technically I haven’t graduated yet,” he said, then laughed as she rolled her eyes. “I’ll watch the movie,” he promised. His smile died as he thought more about all that had happened, about what _could_ have happened, and looked between the three of them, searching their faces.

“So how long have I been out of it? What’s been happening?”

“Well, they took you into surgery almost immediately, and that was around 1 am or so,” said Axel, giving his hand another squeeze. “I’m kinda pissed you got hurt after you promised you wouldn’t, but I guess getting shot in a hospital was, like, the best place to get hurt, so good job for that. Surgery took about two hours, then they had you in recovery for like, an hour, then they wheeled you in here.” He looked at his phone. “It’s about 8:30 now, so…. It’s only been about seven hours or so.”

“And?” Roxas asked, trying to sit up to get a better angle for the conversation, but Axel pressed him back into the bed.

“And the media is freaking out right now about the network issues last night, and then the high profile arrests sort of kicked the hornet’s nest and stirred them into a frenzy. It’s probably only gonna get worse as the day goes on,” Axel replied.

“Our names aren’t part of that narrative yet,” said Ven. “Aqua and Terra are taking the spotlight on this so we don’t have to deal with reporters. We’ll both have to give statements, but it won’t break into the public sphere, at least, not right away. It depends on how General Wiseman decides to play this.”

“So military is taking over?”

“The general knows better than to put the city into military lockdown after an undercover operation revealed that the authorities were still doing shitty stuff after they promised to keep their noses clean,” Axel said, and Ven shrugged.

“Xehanort’s second, Owen Burnett, will be stepping in as interim governor until an emergency election can be held,” Ven said. “Terra will be taking over as interim police chief, although the position will probably ultimately fall to Aqua when he goes back to the capitol.”

Roxas closed his eyes, trying to piece that all together. It made sense, Burnett was a well-spoken official on the City Board, and vocally complained about many of Xehanort’s policies. He wasn’t particularly liked by a lot of the politicians in the area, which probably spoke more in favor of his decency than anything else. And he’d campaigned for governor in the past, plus his no-nonsense and frankly blunt manners garnered a grudging respect from journalists who were used to politicians evading questions. Radiant Gardens could do worse.

As for the precinct, they’d take a hit, both in numbers and morale. But Terra had been well liked, at least from what Ven had said, so he’d probably keep them in line. And Aqua had been there for ages and she knew everyone, so she’d know how to bring them all together again. It wouldn’t be easy, but if anyone could do it, it was her.

They’d caught the bad guys. His code had worked, they’d pulled it off, and there were minimal injuries. He’d even get to see TRON again, the thought of which made him happier than he’d expected. He opened his eyes again, smiling at them all.

“I can’t believe it’s over,” he said.

Ven let out a rough bark of laughter. “It’s only just starting,” he warned, but he was smiling, too. “We’ve got a lot of work ahead of us, paperwork, mostly. Probably a lot of legal stuff, code reviews, and that sort of thing, but…. Yeah. Yeah,  it’s gonna be ok.”

Roxas flushed, thinking about that. A new start… he could work with that.

“Ok,” he said, trying to sit up and sighing when Axel pushed him down yet again. “Ok, so, if this is the start of something new, I’m starting by turning over a new leaf, and I promise from this day forward I will stop lying about stuff. And that includes lying by omission.”

He gave Axel a pointed look, but all he got was a raised eyebrow. “If I can’t talk about something because of nondisclosure agreements, I will say so. No more making stuff up and hiding.”

He took a deep breath, then turned back to his brother. “Ven, I’ve been seeing Axel for, like, the last four months except last month when he dumped me because of my involvement with Aqua’s sting operation, but I’m pretty sure we’re gonna talk more about it and make things better. Right?”

He glanced at Axel, who nodded, slight smirk pulling at his mouth. He turned back to Ven, who was watching them both, expression unreadable. Roxas swallowed around the sudden lump in his throat. Ven was doing his ‘parent’ face, the one he wore when Roxas admitted to doing something stupid to mitigate getting grounded.

“Right. Um… I really like him and I didn’t mean to go behind your back, there was just never a good time to bring it up, and I wasn’t really sure how you’d take me, um, seeing your old friend, so please don’t be angry or mess this up for me-- more than I already have.”

Ven looked between them again, and he looked like he was contemplating his words very carefully. He settled on looking at Axel, who returned his gaze without a hint of embarrassment or excuses.

“Cradle robbing?” Ven asked at last, and Roxas stiffened. But Axel just laughed, and Ven joined him a moment later. “Relax, I’ve known for months. I figured you would tell me when you were ready.”

Roxas glared at Xion, but she held up her hands and shook her head.

“It wasn’t _me_ , I swear!” she said, and Ven laughed again.

“Demyx asked me to give Roxas some mail for Axel when he came by,” he said, giving Axel a sideways look. “I figured that meant Axel was spending more time with you than at his place, and I put the pieces together when you came in wearing one of his shirts. When I asked Demyx if you two were an item, he got really flustered and upset because he thought you’d already told me. He isn’t that great at keeping secrets.”

Xion laughed. “Oh, well, I was gonna say if we’re all sharing secrets, I’ve been seeing Demyx for a couple months, but if you already knew….”

There was a beat of silence as the three guys stared at her, then Ven began to laugh.

“I guess he _can_ keep secrets, then.”

“Wait, seriously?” asked Roxas, sitting up a little straighter to get a better look at her expression. She _seemed_ serious, but…”You, and Demyx? You’re, like, _seeing_ - _seeing_ each other? Like, not just for your research project or to hang out when no one else is around?”

“Yes, I’m _seeing-seeing_ him because I _like-like_ him,” she said, and wrinkled her nose. “What are you, twelve?”

“But I thought you-- I mean, you said that you’d only, um, once, and that you didn’t like-- I mean, he’s a nice guy but… _Demyx?_ Really? Is ‘working on Bubbles' tank’ just a euphemism for ‘sex’?”

“Hey, Demyx is a good guy, she could do a lot worse,” Axel chimed in, but Xion was scowling at Roxas, a slight flush across her cheeks.

“Are you seriously asking about my sex life right in front of Ven? Do you want _me_ to kill you, because I will, and I have two witnesses to say that you provoked me,”  she said, but Ven held up a pacifying hand.

“Hey, let’s not talk about killing, even as a joke, ok? We’re really lucky things weren’t a lot worse,” he said, and Roxas flushed, looking away. Xion mumbled a ‘ _sorry’_  and looked down at her feet.

It was true-- they had been lucky. A few minutes later and both Roxas and Ven would’ve been dead, and Xigbar might’ve managed to escape. A few inches higher, and Roxas would’ve bled out, even with the paramedics waiting in the wings. A few mistakes in their plan, and they wouldn’t be sitting here, laughing about silly little nothings.

As it was, Axel was the first to break the tension with a bark of laughter.

“Ah man, you guys need to stop being all doom and gloom. You won! Bad guys are locked up, Roxas will be up and walking again in a couple of weeks, and Ven, I'm sure you’ll be heading home in no time! You guys should be celebrating your victories, not wallowing in what might’ve been.” Axel looked around the room, then laughed. “No wonder, with the curtains closed it’s like nighttime in here-- let’s lighten up a little, shall we?”

He stood up and pulled aside the curtain, filling the room with mid-morning sunshine. Roxas squinted against the blinding light and raised his hand to block out the sudden brightness, but when he finally blinked away the spots, he saw… _wow_.

Axel, framed in the light of the window. His clothes were rumpled from sleeping in the chair all morning, and his hair was in a sloppy ponytail, rather than his customary spikes. And his face looked softer, somehow, and it was a minute before Roxas realized he was without the usual outlines around his eyes. It was a good look, one he’d really, _really_ missed.

“Better?” Axel asked, sitting down beside him again and picking up his hand. Roxas smiled, and gave his hand a gentle squeeze.

“Perfect.”

  
~The End~

\- - - - - - -- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

 

Friends in my heart,

This is it-- _How the Light Gets In_ is officially complete! I want to thank you all so much for joining me on this adventure over the last year. Your enthusiasm and responses have meant so much to me. Every kudos, every comment, every new friend I've made during this adventure-- I truly cherish them. Thank you so much for your support!  <3

I've mentioned this on Tumblr, but although HTLGI is done, I still have more stories to tell in this universe. I'll continue to write short stories of the expanded universe in _Crack_ , but more importantly, you’ll see that below this note, I've included sneak previews of two more stories I'm working on-- a prequel, _The Oathkeeper's Legacy_ , and a sequel, _Sound Bytes_.

(This part of the note will be erased as soon as they go live)

Scheduling is still TBD; because I am a glutton for punishment, I might be writing both at once (hahahaaaaaaah). I'm taking the summer off to finish the outlines for both stories and to complete some lingering Final Fantasy XV fics, but I will continue to be active on Tumblr, Twitter, and Picarto if you want to stop by and say hello!

On that note,[ I've also created a Tumblr page that houses everything in the _Coding and Keyblades_ universe](https://codingandkeyblades.tumblr.com) \-- I'll be posting a list of Easter Eggs I put in the stories, playlists, art, music, etc-- so if you want to nerd out some more or see what I'm up to, you should check it out.

I also want to note that I would *love* to see content inspired by this universe. If you create something inspired by the series, please let me know so I can feature it. It’s a fun world with so many stories to tell!

And... I think, as they say, that is that! May your heart be your guiding light.

<3

SirLadySketch

  
********************************

**_The Oathkeeper's Legacy_ Excerpt:**

Another day, another body. It was starting to be a bit of a theme for Hallowed Bastion, the city where hearts decayed into bitterness, corruption didn’t even make the headlines anymore, and dreams went to die.

Scientists too, apparently, if the lab coat was anything to go by. Zack crouched by the body, careful not to touch anything, and called out to the officers who’d arrived on the scene before him.

“Hey, any ID yet?” he asked. He could see what looked like a clip for a nametag peeking out from under the man’s arm, but it was missing the telltale plastic card. Still, Shinra lab coat, pool of MAKO, scattered pages of what appeared to be routine reactor checklists… there weren’t _that_ many of these guys around, so even if the ID was missing, they had a good place to start.

It also suggested that whoever’d killed him needed the card for access to the more sensitive areas, rather than an attempt to hide the victim’s identity. So, someone who knew the facility well enough to navigate around the cameras and guard schedules, but either lacked the clearance to get into whatever part of the facility they’d intended, or, more likely, they knew they’d need an untraceable way to access the restricted areas.

One of the supporting officers squatted down next to Zack, reviewing the notebook for the facts they’d gathered so far.

“Guards who found him tentatively ID him as Dr. Gast, head researcher of the facility. Dr. Gast was reported missing almost a week ago by his daughter, but missing persons didn’t start a case file until three days ago. Security checked the system and no activity on his access codes or anything until he used his card to activate the pressure locks around 1:30 am this morning, but we’re still waiting on video feeds.”

“What the heck was he doing here that early?” Zack asked, then swallowed a yawn as he thought about the warm, comfy bed he’d left behind for this. “Do they normally have researchers here overnight?”

“The staff we’ve interviewed so far have not indicated that this is a typical occurrence, no.”

Zack rocked back on his heels, then rolled to his feet to stand up in one smooth motion. He crossed his arms, cracking his neck and shifting to a more comfortable position.

“So… was this a terrorist thing? Any AVALANCHE calling cards?”

“Undetermined as of yet, sir,” replied the officer, skimming his notes once again.

“Anything to do with the military?”

“He’s a civilian but most of his work is classified, so it’s a possibility.” The man shrugged, then gestured to the body. “We kind of hoped your team could clarify that, honestly. We’re meeting all kinds of red tape on this.”

Zack leaned back to stretch and let out a satisfied grunt at the comfortable crack in his back, then gestured to the body. “I mean, not that I’m not happy to get up at four in the morning to take a call, but why’d you guys call in SOLDIER? Is there something about this doctor that requires military forces?”

The cop gave a curt nod. “The security team noted that Dr. Gast is not usually onsite, as his research is in biology, specifically the wing focused on enhancement and MAKO regeneration. He’s one of the main brains behind you guys, actually.”

“So, basically we’ve been called in to make sure nothing sensitive leaks?”

“It would appear that way, yes.”

Zack sighed, uncrossing his arms so he could stifle a yawn. “Awesome. I love clean up jobs that involve lots of paperwork. How’d he die, anyway? Best guess.”

The office paused, then looked at the body, specifically, in the region of the chest. “Medical Examiner is still en route, but we’re pretty sure that the removal of his heart had something to do with it.”

Zack resisted the urge to sigh yet again, and took the officer’s pencil. He gestured the man back over to the body, and pointed at the area around the cavity. “You see this?” he asked, and the man nodded, looking a little green. Zack continued, voice calm. “There’s blood, but there isn’t a lot of bloodspray, what does that tell us?”

“...he didn’t resist?”

“The blood had probably coagulated before extraction,” Zack explained, then handed the pencil back. “My guess is that he’d been dead for a while before the heart was removed, but we’ll have to get the ME’s word on that. No sign of a struggle either, so it’s possible he died of natural causes and someone came along after the fact to take the heart.”

“But… why?” the officer asked, looking back at the body again. “I mean, what good is a heart to anyone?”

“Hey, I’m just the hired muscle to cut through the red tape here, you’re gonna have to talk to your detective to get answers to the big questions.”

Zack looked towards the doorway and saw the man in question listening to a young uniformed cop, no doubt receiving the same rundown Zack had just gotten. The detective looked over and saw Zack, smirking as he raised his travel mug in salute. Then he headed towards Zack and the body, the cop trailing along behind him. Zack held out his hand, smiling as the older man shook it warmly.

“Fair! Still a low level grunt getting ass-crack of dawn calls?”

“Says the one who _also_ got the ass-crack call,” Zack laughed, clapping the older man on the shoulder before stepping aside to let the detective at the body. “Hey Xigbar. Good to see you on the case.”

  
  
**************************************  
**_Sound Bytes_ Excerpt:**

“So do you want the good news, or the bad news first?”

Xion sighed as she chucked her purse into her desk drawer, reaching over to boot up her computer as Ariel came into the room, two steaming mugs of coffee in hand. Xion took it with a happy groan, sipping the hot liquid as her mentor settled into the chair across from her.

“I’ve only been gone three days, and it was the weekend. What on earth could’ve happened in that time?” she asked, then half-turned to log into her computer, letting the programs boot up as she settled back in her chair to catch up. “It couldn’t be _that_ bad or you would’ve called me.”

Ariel grinned, then pointed towards the far wall. “The good news is that Scuttles is really taking to his new tank and he started building a garden. He’s really made the place look like home.”

Xion looked over at the tank where, sure enough, the young reef octopus had a small collection of rocks and shells in a ring around the little cove he’d made his home. It was small, but discernible. She’d have to make sure she picked up some more shells and rocks for him on the next dive.

She took another sip of coffee. “So what’s the bad news?”

“He stole Scooter’s favorite blue rock to build it.”

Xion froze, then looked over at the tank again. Sure enough, the large, ugly plastic ‘gem’ she’d given to their older octopus was sitting in the middle of the midden among the discarded clam shells and coral pieces. She sighed, and pinched the bridge of her nose.

“Is Scooter ok? No attempts at cannabalism?” she asked, and Ariel laughed.

“He was a bit grumpy, but he settled down after I gave him a bottle with treats inside. I’m still not sure how Scuttles got things open, but I setup the nanny-cam so we should have a better idea soon.”

Xion grinned, then turned back to her computer to pull up her inbox. Nothing really all that exciting; some routine lab reports, a monthly newsletter from the university about success stories that always ended with them begging for money, and some photos of a weird looking mass of inky goo that Sora found on the beach while he was dog walking.

She spammed the university email without opening it, and tagged Sora’s email as a “read later.” She’d check the lab reports first, but since Ariel had been cced on it and hadn’t mentioned anything, they probably didn’t hold any earth-shattering results.

“Anything else new and exciting?” she asked, and Ariel giggled, holding up a post-it note with a number.

“Erwin called again,” Ariel said, but Xion just laughed.

“Urchin? Augh, I said _new and exciting_ , not same-old, same-old.”

“He’s not that bad, and he seems really taken with you,” Ariel said, although she seemed less than convinced herself. “Why not give him another try?”

“Because all he’s interested in is sex, which wasn’t very good in the first place, and he’s _boring_ ,” Xion said. “Stop trying to set me up with every single guy you know, and tell me about the black coral spots. Has anyone been able to get some samples, or do we need to plan a dive?”

“He likes you,” Ariel insisted. “And look on the bright side, he’s got stability-- good job, nice car, a _house_ , and you already know he’s good with animals, so he’d probably be good with kids, too.”

“ _Boring_ ,” Xion repeated, unwilling to get dragged into yet another lecture about the joys of marriage and motherhood. Fortunately, Ariel got distracted when her phone rang, affording Xion an easy end to the conversation. While the older woman chatted on the phone, Xion decided to spend that time reviewing the reports to see if there was anything of use or interest. There wasn’t.

They’d been working in companionable silence for an hour or so when her phone dinged-- once,  twice, _three times_ and she laughed, knowing that Roxas had finally opened up her message. She picked it up, turned it on, and--

“OH shiiiieeeeeeeeeeeeerimp,” she automatically corrected herself, feeling Ariel’s disapproval from across the room.

“What’s wrong?” Ariel rolled her chair over to peer over Xion’s shoulder.

“You know how I told you Roxas was being stupid and I was mad at him so I changed his name to ‘Dork’ on my phone?” she asked, still staring at horror at the reply notifications on her screen. Ariel laughed.

“Who’s ‘Demyx’?”

“That would be the head nurse of Ven’s ward, who gave me his number so I could text him for updates about Ven’s progress when Roxas flaked out on me.”

She could just…not respond. Or she could pretend that her phone had gotten hacked and that she’d had no idea of what had been sent. Then she’d just coordinate all of her upcoming visits to make sure that she would never have to face the man ever again. How _could_ she?

“Ohhh, you texted Mister _Sexy in Scrubs_? Should I let Erwin know he has competition?” Ariel teased, rolling back over to her desk. When Xion didn’t reply, she turned back around with a frown of concern. “Why are you so upset? What did you mean to send your brother?”

“...you know how I sort of accidentally started collecting aquatic-themed, um, _things_?”

Ariel gave her a flat, angry mom look. “You sent a picture of that tentacle dildo?”

“Yes. I sent _Demyx_ a picture of the Hefty Hecto Tentacle Dildo,” Xion agreed, then lowered her head to bump it against the desk. “Carp and Koiiiiiiiiiiiiiii.”

“You know what? Consider this a learning experience,” Ariel said, and there was absolutely _zero_ sympathy in her voice. “Maybe next time you’ll think twice before you send explicit images willy-nilly.”

“Yes _Mom_ ,” Xion said, then bit her lip, staring at the three notifications. She’d have to open it, and delaying the inevitable was impossible.

Ariel was right-- she’d do the adult thing and apologize profusely, and figure out a way to blame it on Roxas. It was Roxas’ fault anyway, if he hadn’t been acting so stupid about stuff she never would’ve had to change his name and this mishap never would’ve happened. She still would’ve sent the picture, of course, but she wouldn’t have sent it to the wrong person. _Clearly_ Roxas was at fault here.

The first message was what one would typically expect from someone who received unwanted dick pics:

 **_Demyx:_ ** _Heyyyyyy i think u sent this to the wrng #_

She flinched. Yeah, she definitely had gotten the wrong number. But she needed to see what else he’d said so she could apologize in full. She tapped on the next response.

The next message, however, was an image. When it loaded, she was looking at a photo of a basking shark with its mouth open wide, and words typed over the image: _Im completely SHARKED by the size_

She laughed despite her complete and utter mortification. He had a sense of humor, that was good. Maybe they could laugh this off and _never speak of it again._ She opened the final message, then stared at it for a long moment. This was… it _couldn’t_ be, but maybe…?

 **_Demyx:_ ** _Looks fun tho! ;)_

Was he _flirting_ with her?

 


End file.
